Lamb Gyros With Cucumber Yogurt Sauce Food

GYRO-STYLE LAMB WITH CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE OVER QUINOA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss together lamb, half of the oregano, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the ground black pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat.
• Add half of the lamb and cook, tossing constantly, until cooked through and liquid is absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to a plate.
• Repeat process with remaining oil and lamb.
• In a bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Arrange quinoa on a platter or individual serving plates.
• Spoon lamb over quinoa, top with peppers, cucumber-yogurt sauce and remaining oregano and serve.

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

LAMB PITAS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown lamb in batches. Transfer lamb to a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker, reserving drippings in skillet., In drippings, saute onion over medium heat until tender, 4-6 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in wine, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano and basil. Add to lamb. Cook, covered, on low until lamb is tender, 6-8 hours., To serve, dice enough cucumber to measure 1 cup; thinly slice remaining cucumber. Combine diced cucumber with yogurt and remaining salt. Fill pita halves with lamb mixture, tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and yogurt mixture. Freeze option: Freeze cooled lamb mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little broth or water if necessary.

GREEK LAMB-FETA BURGERS WITH CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• Set 4 whole garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium-high heat; toast until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Peel, mince and set aside.
• Break up lamb in a medium bowl. Sprinkle roasted garlic, feta, oregano, salt and pepper over meat; stir with a fork to combine. Divide into 4 portions. Toss meat back and forth between cupped hands to form a ball. Pat with fingertips to flatten to about 4 inches wide. Refrigerate.
• Mix cucumber, sour cream, mint, vinegar, 1 minced clove of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.
• Build a hot fire on one side of grill. Replace rack. When coals are covered with white ash, add burgers. Cover and cook, turning only once, until done, about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium to medium-well burgers.
• Grill pitas until spotty brown and warm, a minute or so per side. Split crosswise. Spread a couple of tablespoons of sauce over 4 pita halves. Top each with an onion slice, a tomato slice and a burger. Spread a portion of the remaining sauce over each burger. Top with remaining pita halves.

EASY GREEK YOGURT CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir together the yogurt, sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, cucumber, green onion, garlic, feta cheese, oregano, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl; cover and chill 8 hours or overnight before serving.

CUCUMBER SAUCE FOR GYROS

Steps:

• Put the cucumber into a colander and sprinkle with a little salt.
• Let rest for 10-15 minutes to allow extra juices to escape the cucumber.
• Gently squeeze the cucumber in a paper or cloth towel.
• Put everything a bowl and mix well (I don't rinse the cucumber).
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate for a couple of hours prior to using (if you have time).
• A turn or two in the food processor would yield a nice smooth sauce.
• Good on anything, especially Gyros.

GROUND LAMB GYROS WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg.
• FOR THE LAMB LOAF.
• Combine lamb, bread, egg, milk, onion, garlic, parsley and seasonings in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly, kneading. Shape mixture into a 7" X 4"loaf.
• Place loaf on rack for drainage and bake.
• 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until temp of 180 deg. Allow the loaf to rest. Can be used at this time to make your gyros, or covered and stored in the frig until the next day.
• FOR THE SAUCE.
• Whisk together the cucumbers, sour cream, yogurt, green onions, lemon juice, salt, white pepper and mint. Store in frig until serving time.
• HEATING AND ASSEMBLING GYROS.
• Put slices of the lamb loaf on a flat grill pan and heat on low to medium heat. Meanwhile, put pita rounds between two sheets of aluminum foil, crimp the edges, and put in oven to warm.
• Put portions of the hot meat on the warmed pita round, and pile the sweet onion slices and tomatoes on top. Serve the gyro with a generous side dish of the cucumber / yogurt sauce. Serve immediately.

LAMB GYROS WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix yogurt, cucumber, grated onion, first garlic clove and sugar in mixing bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins. In a large bowl, mix lamb, remaining garlic and seasonings and shape into 2 large patties and broil until cooked through. Carve each into slices and serve in pita with onions, tomatoes and yogurt sauce.

CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE FOR GYROS

Steps:

• Combine and serve with gyros.

EASY LAMB GYROS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Spray a large loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Combine lamb, Greek seasoning, and egg in a bowl. Mix until ingredients are very well combined (overmixing is preferable here.) Firmly press mixture into the prepared loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets under the meat. Cover with foil.
• Cook in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 2 hours.
• Remove from the oven and let rest, covered, until all the grease on top is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove meat from the pan and cut into thin slices.
• Load meat into the center of warmed pitas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and tzatziki sauce. Serve immediately.

LAMB RACK WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT

Steps:

• Cucumber Yogurt
• Line a colander with a quadruple layer of cheesecloth and pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth. suspend over a large bowl and refrigerate for 48 hours, allowing the moisture to drain from the yogurt.
• Peel and grate the cucumbers on a box grater. season with 1 teaspoon of salt and hang in a quadruple layer of cheese-cloth to drain excess moisture, about 1 hour. Measure 1 cup of the drained yogurt and reserve the rest for another use. Combine the cup of yogurt and the drained cucumbers in a medium bowl. stir in the lemon juice and olive oil. Grate the garlic on a Microplane grater into the mixture and fold in the chopped dill. Mix well and season with salt to taste.
• Roasted Lamb Rack
• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. season the lamb rack generously with salt. place the rack in the skillet fat side down and sear over high heat until browned, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn and sear the bottom for 1 minute. Turn the rack back onto the fat side and add the butter, thyme, and garlic. Baste the rack with the butter for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the lamb rack fat side up to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the lamb rack over, baste with butter, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. remove the lamb rack from the oven, turn it back over, and baste once more. roast in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 130° to 135°F. Let the lamb rack rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. serve with the cucumber yogurt and heirloom tomatoes.

LAMB GYROS

Steps:

• When you've got your lamb off the bone and are faced with a large slab of meat, you'll want to do a little more trimming to get it ready for the grill. Go ahead and remove the excess fat and any remaining membranes that you see.
• Cut the lamb up so that each chunk you cut off is uniform in size. Some pieces will be thicker than others, but that's perfectly fine. This way you can just pull each piece off the grill individually as they reach your desired doneness.
• Now that your meat is trimmed and ready to go it's time to mix up the marinade.
• Start by adding the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
• When it's thoroughly mixed, add it to a large zip top bag or shallow baking dish and add the lamb.
• Make sure you toss the meat around so the marinade covers everything and then let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Longer is better in this case, so if you can prepare this three or four hours in advance, that's great. Even overnight is fine if you're pressed for time. If you do marinade it for a longer period of time just be sure to occasionally toss or turn the pieces of meat to make sure they are staying well-covered by the marinade.
• After the meat has marinaded for your desired time, pull it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking to allow it to come up closer to room temperature.
• While your meat is resting you can go ahead and get the grill started. Gas or charcoal, doesn't matter. Use what you're comfortable with and what you have.
• Bring the grill up to a medium heat and begin cooking the lamb. If you have a few pieces that are much thicker than the rest, add those first and let them cook for a couple of minutes before adding the rest so that way most of the meat should get done at around the same time. Turn frequently. Continue cooking until the meat reaches around 120-125 degrees for medium-rare, or about 130 degrees for medium. When you pull the meat from the grill at these temperatures and let it rest, the meat will continue to cook and increase at least another five degrees.
• This is where having a good meat thermometer comes in handy, but if you don't have one and you're familiar with cooking steaks and testing their doneness, you can use the same method here.
• Once the meat has rested for about 10 minutes, slice bite-sized pieces, against the grain where possible and dump all of the meat into a large serving bowl. If you'd like, you can add a drizzle of olive oil and a little salt and pepper to the bowl and toss to coat to give it a little finishing touch.
• Finally, take your pieces of pita bread and throw them on the grill, still at medium heat, and let them warm up. We're not looking to get the bread crunchy or anything, but just want to toast it lightly and warm it throughout. It should take just 30-60 seconds.
• Instructions for Tzatziki Sauce:.
• Start by peeling two medium cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise.
• Take a spoon and scoop out the seeds, then give them a rough chop. Once chopped, put the cucumber into a colander or strainer in the sink and sprinkle the kosher salt on top and toss to coat. This step is important because the salt will draw out some of the excess moisture that would otherwise make your tzatziki very thin in consistency. Let the salted cucumber sit for 30-60 minutes.
• For making the sauce a food processor can come in handy, but you can just use a grater to grate the cucumber into small pieces and then chop the herbs and garlic very fine by hand.
• If you have a food processor, add the cucumber, garlic, and dill to the processor and pulse to puree.
• Add the mixture to a bowl and then add the yogurt and lemon juice and fold to incorporate everything. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, but overnight is best. Enjoy!

GREEK GYRO MEATLOAF WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• For Loaf:.
• Combine meat and gyro mix in a bowl, mix together well with hands (if using tofu, let rest 10 minutes after mixing before next step).
• Form into a loaf shape and place in a loaf or baking pan.
• Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until meat is cooked.
• For Sauce:.
• Mix all ingredients together.
• Serve loaf with sauce.
• For Vegetarian use only the Tofu.