The Authentic Greek Gyro A Greek Grill Party Food

HOMEMADE GREEK CHICKEN GYRO RECIPE

Steps:

• To prepare this chicken gyro recipe, start by preparing the marinade for the gyro. In a large bowl, combine marinade ingredients and stir well.
• On a cutting board, place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken thighs and pound until about 1 1/2 cm thick with a meat mallet or heavy pan.
• In another large bowl combine chicken thighs and marinade, stirring well to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to one day.
• Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
• Skewer the chicken thighs individually on a spit (make sure to skewer them pretty tight). In between the chicken pieces skewer the onion and peppers.
• Bake for about 1- 1 and 1/2 hour, until internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C)
• Let it rest for about 8 minutes and then carve slices with a sharp knife.
• In the meantime prepare the tzatziki sauce for the chicken gyro. Pour in a blender the olive oil and grated garlic and blend until combined.
• Remove the skin and seeds of the cucumber and grate it into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and leave aside for 10 minutes. Wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and squeeze, in order to get rid of the excess water.
• In a bowl, add the cucumber, the blended garlic and oil, the yogurt, 1-2 tbsps of red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and blend, until the ingredients are combined.
• Store the tzatziki sauce in the fridge and always serve cold.
• Prepare the pita breads. Preheat the oven to 250C. Use a cooking brush to oil the pita breads on both sides and season with salt and oregano. Place a large oven tray (upside down) at the bottom of the oven and place the pita breads on top of the tray. Bake for 2-3 minutes.
• Chicken gyro is usually served wrapped, like a sandwich. Spread some tzatziki sauce on the pita breads and top it with the chicken gyro, some slices of red onion, some sliced tomato and fried potatoes and wrap.
• For an easier version of this traditional Greek souvlaki with chicken gyro recipe you can serve with Greek yogurt or some mustard and mayonnaise sauce. Enjoy!

THE AUTHENTIC GREEK GYRO - "A GREEK GRILL PARTY"

Steps:

• The morning before an afternoon or evening BBQ, make marinade by combining oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, herbs & pepper in a med bowl. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the marinade to mix w/the onions. Place cubed lamb in bowl w/remaining marinade & toss to coat well. Refrigerate lamb & marinade reserved for onions.
• The morning of the BBQ, place onions in small bowl & toss w/reserved marinade. Cover w/plastic wrap, refrigerate several hrs & stir to mix well several times.
• Make yoghurt sauce by lining a med bowl w/cheesecloth & spooning in the yoghurt. Tie up edges of cheesecloth w/string to form a pouch. Suspend over a bowl or place in a colander over a bowl & let stand to drain several hours. Moisture will drip from the yoghurt & give it a thick consistency. (Eliminate this step if able to get real thick Greek yoghurt.).
• Mix yoghurt w/minced garlic, herbs, lemon juice, oil, salt & pepper. Cover & chill.
• When ready to BBQ, stack pita bread in 2 piles of 6 & wrap each pile in foil (dull side out).
• Heat coals or gas grill. Remove meat from marinade & reserve marinade for basting. (Discard any large garlic pieces.) Thread lamb onto greased skewers & grill over greased grill about 4 in from hot coals. Cook (turning & basting often) about 10 min or till lamb is brown on the outside, but still pink inside.
• Warm pita rounds over barbecue.
• Before serving, lift onions from the marinade w/a slotted spoon & place in a serving bowl. Cut whole tomatoes into thin wedges & place on a serving plate w/the lettuce leaves. Set out yoghurt sauce & lots of napkins (You'll need them!).
• To serve, cut each warmed pita round in half & separate to form 2 pockets. Each person fills a warmed pita picket with some of the grilled lamb cubes, lettuce, tomatoes & onions, then tops with a spoonful of the sauce.

GYROS SPICE MIX WITH A KICK

Steps:

• Mix herbs and spices, transfer to a jar.
• Use for chicken, lamb, pork and minced/ground meats.
• Mix a few teaspoons with lemon/lime juice, olive oil and salt to taste and mix that with the type of meat you selected.
• For kebabs or burgers, add to the mince with some salt.

TRADITIONAL GYROS

Steps:

• Place onion in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Transfer onion to a piece of cheese cloth and squeeze out the liquid. Place onion in a large bowl.
• Mix lamb, beef, garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, and salt with the onion using your hands until well mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until flavors blend, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place meat mixture in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and tacky, about 1 minute. Pack meat mixture into a 7x4-inch loaf pan, ensuring there are no air pockets. Place loaf pan into a roasting pan and pour enough boiling water around the loaf pan to reach halfway up the sides.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 45 to 60 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Pour off any accumulated fat and cool slightly.
• Thinly slice the gyro meat mixture.
• Spread 1 tablespoon hummus onto each pita bread; top each with gyro meat mixture, lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.

COPYCAT ARBY'S GYRO

Steps:

• Place the onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the ground lamb and beef, the seasoning blend, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 2/3 of the grated garlic. Process until evenly combined and smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to a 7x4-inch loaf pan. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top and press down firmly. Discard the plastic wrap and give the pan a few taps on the counter to make sure the mixture is compact as possible. Cover the pan tightly with foil and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
• In the meantime, in a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, cucumber, parsley, dill, lemon juice, remaining garlic, salt and pepper until evenly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
• Place the loaf pan into a larger baking dish and then pour in hot water about half way up the loaf up, to create a steam bath. Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for about 1 hour. Carefully remove from the oven and drain the hot water. Unwrap the foil from the loaf pan and drain off any accumulated grease. Allow the meatloaf to cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cutting board and cutting into thin slices.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Once very hot, add the sliced meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly crispy.
• To assemble the gyros, warm the pitas in the oven for a few minutes or in a dry skillet, to make them pliable. Spread each pita with the tzatziki yogurt. Sprinkle with lettuce, tomato slices, onion slices and some of the sautéed meat. Fold over and serve immediately.

GROUND BEEF GYROS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine first 5 ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate. (If possible overnight).
• In separate bowl, combine ground beef and seasonings.
• Mix well.
• Shape into 4 patties.
• Grill, covered, (you can also use a toaster oven or broil these) over medium to high heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, turning once.
• Cut patties into thin slices.
• Stuff into pitas.
• Add lettuce,cucumber, tomato, and onion.
• Serve with yogurt sauce.

GREEK GYRO MEAT - ROTISSERIE, GRILL OR OVEN

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 warm pita bread with recipe #296173 sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and shredded lettuce.
• To cook on a Kitchen or BBQ Grill 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. (Follow your Kitchen Rotisserie manual for time and temperature.).
• 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 warm pita bread with recipe #296173 sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and shredded lettuce.

BIG BARBECUE CHICKEN KEBAB

Steps:

• First, whisk all the marinade ingredients together with 1 tsp salt in a large bowl or, better still, a large plastic container that has a lid. Open out each chicken thigh, cover with a piece of baking parchment and flatten it with your hand, then lift off the paper and cut the thigh in half. Tip into the marinade and mix so it's completely coated. Cover, chill and marinate for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs - the longer, the better.
• Thread all the chicken onto two skewers so that both skewers go through each piece of meat, packing down tightly as you go to make a compact kebab (see tip, below).
• Light a lidded barbecue, and let the flames die down. Once the coals have turned ashen, pile them up on one side with a single layer of coals scattered around the other side. Lay the chicken kebab on the side of the barbecue with only a few coals underneath. Put the lid down and cook for 45 mins, turning every 15 mins. To finish, lift the lid and roll the kebab over to the hotter side to char the meat, turning it every few minutes until well browned and cooked through. Prise the chicken pieces apart in the centre to check they're cooked, or use a digital cooking thermometer - it should read 70C or more. Leave to rest for 5-10 mins while you cook the pittas (see recipe, opposite). Bring the kebab to the table and carve into thin slices with a serrated knife. Pile the carved meat into the warm pittas, then the sliced red onions and tomatoes, chips and tzatziki (see our recipes, below).

GREEK GYROS

Steps:

• Spray skillet with non-stick spray and add onion and garlic. Cook until soft over low heat stirring constantly.
• Place in mixing bowl with lamb, lemon juice, oregano and cumin and mix thoroughly. Shape into 2 patties.
• Place on rack of broiler and broil 3 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once, or until desired doneness.
• Combine cucumber, yogurt and mint in small bowl and mix.
• Cut around edge of each pita bread and pull open to form pocket. Fill each pita with half the lettuce and tomato, 1 lamb patty and half the yogurt mixture.