Gyros

=**GYROS**=



__**Description of Gyros**__

A gyro or gyros is a Greek dish made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, traditionally pork, or chicken and outside of Greece with beef, [|veal], lamb, and usually served wrapped in a flatbread such as [|pita], with mustard, tomato, onion, and [|tzatziki] sauce.

To make gyros, pieces of meat are placed on a tall vertical [|rotisserie], in the shape of an inverted cone, which turns slowly in front of a source of heat, usually an electric [|broiler]. If the meat is not fatty enough, strips of fat are added so that the roasting meat always remains moist and crisp. The rate of roasting can be adjusted by varying the strength of the heat and the distance between the heat and the meat, allowing the cook to adjust to varying rates of consumption. The outside of the meat is sliced vertically in thin, crisp shavings when done. It is generally served in an oiled, lightly grilled piece of pita, rolled up with various salads and vegetables such as lettuce, as well as sauces, such as mustard. Gyros form part of the sandwich family and are differentiated from other hand-held semi-folded foods by their complete over-wrap but unsecured lower flap.


 * __History of Gyros__**

Though grilling meat on a skewer has ancient roots in the Eastern Mediterranean with evidence from the [|Mycenaean Greek] and [|Minoan] periods, grilling a //vertical// spit of stacked meat slices and cutting it off as it cooks was developed in the 19th century in [|Ottoman] [|Bursa]. According to some sources, the Middle Eastern [|shawarma], Mexican [|tacos al pastor] , and Greek gyros are all derived from the Turkish döner kebab, which was invented in Bursa in the 19th century by a cook named Hadji Iskender.

By 1971, gyros was already popular in Athens and in New York City. The earliest known American gyros meat mass-production plant was opened by John Garlic in Milwaukee. He later sold his interest in the business to Gyros, Inc. of Chicago, which along with Central Gyros Wholesale, and [|Kronos Foods, Inc], also of Chicago, began large-scale production in the mid-1970s.

= Gyros Meat with Tzatziki Sauce =


 * Total time: 3h 45m **

Preparation:30 min

Cook: 1h 15m

Serving: 6-8


 * Level: Intermediate **


 * Ingredients **

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


 * 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


 * DIRECTIONS **


 * 1) 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.
 * 2) 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.
 * 3) 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.


 * 1) 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.


 * 1) Preheat the grill to high.
 * 2) 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.
 * 3) 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.
 * 4) 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: **


 * 1) Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
 * 2) 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

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown, 2005

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