GREEK GYRO MEAT

GREEK GYRO MEAT

1 lb. ground lamb
½ cup very finely chopped onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
¾ tsp. salt (preferably sea salt)
½ tsp. dried ground marjoram
½ tsp. dried ground rosemary
¼ tsp. black pepper

Mix everything together and let sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Blend in 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^ it should be a bit dry.

Sauce: Tzatziki is made with 500mi. plain natural or Greek yogurt, 1 cucumber which has been peeled and deseeded and grated and drained of extra liquid, and 2-4 cloves of fresh minced garlic.

Mix together and let sit in the refrigerator until ready to use. This is an extremely traditional recipe, and might be a bit sharp so you might want to halve the garlic.

Wayne formerly with Feller’s Meat in Clearfield, Utah also say’s that a traditional gyro should be made with at least 50% ground lamb and the rest beef. The best ground to use is one with a high fat content (this is so that during the remix it binds and keeps it’s shape well). The main flavoring ingredients should always be garlic, onion, marjoram, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Marjoram and rosemary are similar to oregano and thyme in flavoring (respectively), and are common ingredients in Greek cooking. True Greek food rarely uses oregano. The mass-produced gyro uses oregano, not to mention garlic and onion powder, but we use fresh minced garlic and onions