Recipes

Greek-American Lamb Gyros

Cuisine: Greek

Type: Sandwich

Serves: 4

Source:	https://www.seriouseats.com/greek-american-lamb-gyros-recipe
Attributes:	Book
Comments:	This is a really good home-made version of a Greek Gyro sandwich. We like this sauce better than a traditional tzaziki
Serving Suggestions:	We serve this with homemade pitas (see recipe elsewhere), chopped tomato, and chopped red onion. Neither of us are huge fans of raw cucumber, so we skip that, but feel free to add chopped cucumber, too.

Ingredients:

For the Meat:

1 pound ground lamb (or 85% lean ground beef)
2 tsp. kosher salt (or 1 tsp. table salt)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs. picked fresh oregano leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 clove garlic, sliced
3 oz. slab bacon (or about 5 slices sliced bacon), cut into 1-inch pieces

For the Yogurt Sauce:

3/4 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
2 tsp. juice from 1 lemon
2 tbs. chopped parsley or mint

To Serve:

4 pieces soft, hand-pulled-style pita (not pocket pita)
Chopped fresh tomato
Finely sliced onion
Cubed peeled seeded cucumber
Hot sauce

Instructions:

1. Combine lamb, salt, pepper, and oregano in a medium bowl. Mix with hands until homogeneous. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Meanwhile, place yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Allow to drain in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the cold lamb mixture in the bowl of a food processor with the onion, garlic, and bacon. Process until a smooth purée is formed, about 1 minute total, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula as necessary.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. With moist hands, form the meat mixture into rectangles about 1 1/2-inches high, 8 inches long, and 5 inches wide. Bake until the center of the loaf reads 155°F (68°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes. Allow the loaf to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes (or refrigerate for up to a week).

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine strained yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

4. Adjust broiler rack to the highest position (about 1-1/2 to 2 inches from broiler element) and preheat broiler. Slice the loaf crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch strips (each strip should be about 5 inches long and 1-1/2-inches wide). Lay strips on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil until edges are brown and crispy, about 2 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil. Warm pita by placing it on a rimmed baking sheet and broiling until soft and pliant, about 45 seconds per side.

5. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce over each piece of pita. Divide the meat evenly between the sandwiches. Top as desired, wrap with foil, and serve.

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