Several Gyros Recipe

Gyros

Prep Time: :20
Cook Time: :15

Ingredients:
Meat Mixture:
1 lb. ground lamb (or beef)
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Sandwich:
1 cup Greek-style yogurt (or regular yogurt, see below)
4 rounds of flat bread or pita.
lettuce
tomato; sliced
Tzatziki Sauce

Preparation:
Meat mixture
1. Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Divide into four equal portions and shape into oblong patties about 3" wide, 6" long, 1/2" thick. Refrigerate for an hour.

Sandwich
3. Grill patties over a hot fire for 3 - 4 minutes per side.
4. Spread tzatziki sauce down the center of a flat bread round, add a lettuce leaf, add some diced tomato. Add the patty, fold the bread over the lamb, and enjoy.

Note: wrapping in foil helps hold things together while you eat it.

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Ingredients
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup very finely chopped (or shredded) onion
2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried ground marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried ground rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix everything together and let sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Blend in a food processor for about 1 minute. (When cooked, this will help give it a more traditional gyro feel on your palate. Otherwise, it just takes like cooked minced meat.) Form into an oblong around a spit, and slow cook over a grill for around 30-45 minutes, cooking far from the coals, and rotating slowly. Alternatively, bake in the oven in a meatloaf shape for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, at 325 degrees F. It should be a bit dry.

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INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS
Place the onion in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Scoop the onions onto the center of a towel, gather up the ends of the towel, and squeeze out the liquid from the onions. Place the onions into a mixing bowl along with the lamb and beef. Season with the garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Mix well with your hands until well combined. Cover, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Place the meat mixture into the food processor, and pulse for about a minute until finely chopped and the mixture feels tacky. Pack the meat mixture into a 7x4 inch loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan on the towel, inside the roasting pan, and place into the preheated oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
Bake until the gyro meat is no longer pink in the center, and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) on a meat thermometer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour off any accumulated fat, and allow to cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.

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Ingredients
2 pounds lean boneless lamb (use meat cut from the leg or shoulder), cut in 1 inch cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
fresh 2 each garlic cloves peeled, cut in quarters
1 teaspoon thyme leaves fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano or marjoram, fresh, chopped
1 x black pepper freshly ground
2 large onions spanish, cut in thinly sliced rings
24 small romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried
6 large pita bread rounds
3 each tomatoes ripe
2 cups yogurt, plain
1 each garlic clove peeled and minced
1 teaspoon oregano or marjoram, fresh, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh, for sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 x salt and black pepper salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
The morning before an afternoon barbecue, make marinade by combining oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, herbs and pepper in a medium bowl. Remove about 1/4 cup to mix with the onions. Place lamb cubes in bowl with remaining marinade; toss to coat well.
Place onions in small bowl and toss with reserved marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and chill, up to several hours, turning several times.

Meanwhile, make yogurt sauce by lining a medium bowl with cheesecloth and spooning in the yogurt. Tie up edges of cheesecloth with string to form a pouch. Suspend over bowl (tying from refrigerator rack above bowl), or place in a colander over bowl and let stand to drain several hours. Moisture will drip from the yogurt, giving it a thicker consistency. Mix drained yogurt with minced garlic, chopped herbs, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Makes about 1 cup.

Stack pita bread rounds into 2 piles and wrap each in foil, dull side out.
To barbecue, heat coals or gas barbecue. Remove meat from marinade, reserving some marinade for basting. (Discard any large garlic pieces.) Thread lamb onto greased skewers and grill over greased grill about 4 inches from hot coals. Cook, turning and basting often, about 10 minutes or until lamb is brown on the outside, still pink inside. Warm pita rounds over barbecue.

Before serving, lift the onions from the marinade with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl. Cut whole tomatoes into thin wedges and place on plate. Place lettuce leaves on plate. Set out yogurt sauce and lots of napkins to facilitate handling of gyros.
To serve, cut each warmed pita bread in half and separate to form 2 pockets. Each person fills a warmed pita picket with some of the grilled lamb cubes, lettuce, tomatoes and onions, topping with a spoonful of sauce.
Yield: 12 gyros, 2 per person.