Lamb Gyros With Cucumber Yogurt Sauce Recipes

TZATZIKI SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Use a box grater to manually grate the cucumbers or you can use a small food processor to finely chop the cucumbers as I do in this recipe. Toss the grated cucumbers with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheese cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. (There will be a lot of liquid).
• In one large mixing bowl, place the garlic with remaining 1/2 tsp salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
• Add the grated cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper, and the fresh herbs (if using. I did not use fresh herbs in the video). Stir to combine well.
• Cover and refrigerate for a bit (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours before serving). This will help thicken the sauce and give it the best texture, while allowing the flavors to meld.
• When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Serve with your favorite veggies, pita chips or wedges (be sure to read the post for more ideas on how to use this sauce)!

BEST HOMEMADE LAMB GYROS

Steps:

• Two to three days before:.
• Cut the meat into small cubes, removing only large pieces of fat. Grind rosemary until fine, add the garlic, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper, and lemon zest (fine grated from one lemon) and process a bit. Do not add the onion!
• Place the meat and spice mixture in a plastic bag, mix well, seal tightly and chill, turning now and then.
• 8 to 18 hours before serving:.
• Coarsely chop the onion and process it in the food processor until it is mushy with no onion pieces in it. Pour it out onto a clean fine weave cloth, gather the cloth up around the onion and squeeze out the liquid very well until the onion is very dry.
• Working in batches, grind the meat cubes in the food processor until finely ground. Add the onion to all the meat and mix well. Then re-process in batches until the mixture is reduced to a fluffy paste -- this may take two or more minutes per batch. Knead the meat mixture very well, form into a compact log 8-10 inches long with blunt ends, and wrap very tightly in plastic wrap (see picture). Chill for 3 to 18 hours.
• 1.5 to 2 hours before serving:.
• Remove plastic wrap and re-wrap tightly in foil. Put on indirect heat on the BBQ 375-400 degrees, turning every 15-20 minutes for about 60-70 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. Remove from grill and leave in foil for at least 20 minutes. Final temperature should be 160-165.
• Slice very thin horizontal slices. If you like your gyros meat crispy, saute the slices in a hot skillet for a few minutes before serving (I like mine soft, so I just zap it very briefly if I need to warm it up!).
• Serve with tzatziki (try #59336) and warm pita.

GYRO MEAT WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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

LAMB GYRO WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE AND SPICY SOUR CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss the cubed lamb with the garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and lemon juice. Coat the lamb completely. Let the lamb marinate for 30 minutes.
• Heat a large, deep skillet over high heat and drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the lamb with 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the lamb to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides and cooked to medium-rare, about 4 minutes on each side.
• Heat the pita bread in a dry pan or in the microwave for just a few seconds until warm and pliable. On each piece of bread, lay a few pieces of lamb, some tomato slices, lettuce, feta and a spoonful of each sauce. Transfer to a serving platter, fold and enjoy!
• To make Tzatziki sauce:
• In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, mint, dill, lemon zest, and yogurt. Season with salt, to taste, and serve with the gyros.
• Yield: about 2 cups
• To make Spicy Sour Cream Sauce:
• In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, lemon, and sriracha sauce together until completely blended. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, and serve with the gyros.
• Yield: about 1 cup