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tesoro tesoroOG 2001

i really want to make gyros, but i need ground lamb and none of the grocery stores around here carry it. grr.

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

Oooh, I love the tzaki sauce. This greek diner down the street put it on a wrap with fresh cucumber, bean spouts and other finely sliced veggies. So yummy.

Could you ask the butcher at your local grocery store to grind the lamb for you? They've trimmed fat for me before, I think they don't mind doing stuff like that.

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

yea, i found a really great sounding recipe, it's one of those ones that take two days, cuz the mound of seasoned meat has to sit over night, as does the yogurt sauce...which is very frustrating, cuz as i cook, i get excited about it being done...two days is a long time to wait! haha

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

Ooooh, that sounds good! I hate leaving meat in my fridge to marinate - it always looks so good just sitting there, I start to think if a little taste of raw meat would be soooo bad. :)

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

here's the recipe, i don't know why i remembered it as two days, it's just two hours. ha

Gyro Meat with Tzatziki Sauce Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005



Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
User Rating:

1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
2 pounds ground lamb
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Tzatziki Sauce, recipe follows

Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.
Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.

To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.

To cook on a rotisserie, proceed as follows:
Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.

Preheat the grill to high.

Place the meat onto the rotisserie skewer. Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Tzatziki Sauce:
16 ounces plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced

Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

The Tzatziki (I butchered the spelling of that above) sounds good, but my grandmother always used dill and mint, which I think is an incredible combo. Let us know how it goes!

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

yea, i'm gonna check for the ground lamb at wegmans, i'm going on friday, i LOVE that grocery store, but it's about 30mins away.

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

yea, i'm going to use dill, every authentic greek restaurant that i've eaten at uses it in their tzatziki.

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

i made these gyros last night, they were SOOOO great! i was so excited, cuz they really tasted just as i remembered they should. they were so good, it was A LOT of work though, especially because i don't have a full size food processor, i have a mini one....but it was well worth it.

D
dgiaimoOG 2003

I thought you normally just shaved meat off a leg of lamb for gyros?

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

no no no! gyro meat is pressed... leg of lamb has the consistency of a good cut of beef, tender, but you still need a knife.

D
dgiaimoOG 2003

Ok. That makes sense.

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