Gyro Meat

Gyro meat is a type of meat that is made out of ground lamb, onions and tomatoes. There are many delectable recipes and can be made using this meat, along with a number of ingredients and condiments.

Gyro meat (pronounced as ‘year-o’ or ‘yee-row’) which has its origin in Greece and consists of ground lamb meat, tzatziki sauce, onions and tomatoes. Though the meat is traditionally made with ground lamb, variations using boneless chicken, beef, pork and even veal are also quite popular. This meat is usually served with pita bread and is considered a delicacy around the world. In order to prepare this variety of meat, strips of meat are threaded on a vertical spit and roasted, by turning the spit, in front of a broiler. For a moist and crispy feeling, extra strips of fat are added while roasting the meat. Condiments like pepper, marjoram, rosemary etc. are added to spice up the meat dish. Though gyro and pita bread make an awesome combination, lightly grilled meat is also served with sauces and salads. Gyro is also used in meatloaf recipes. Let’s see more about the recipes made out of gyro.

Nutrition Facts of Gyro

A single serving contains 320.2 calories in gyro meat. Given below is the nutritional information of this meat type.

Traditional Gyro Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium-sized onion, cut in chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground rosemary
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preparation
Place the onion chunks in a food processor and mince them into a fine paste. Transfer the minced onions to a tea towel and squeeze off the excess liquid. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground lamb and onions. Add the minced garlic, pepper, sea salt and other seasonings and mix well. Refrigerate this mixture for about 2 hours till the ingredients blend together properly. Allow the mixture to return to normal room temperature. Finely chop this mixture in a food processor till the meat feels tacky. Place this meat mixture in a meat loaf pan and bake it in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for about 60 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool down before slicing it.

Homemade Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
• ½ cup Tzatziki sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Ingredients for Tzatziki Sauce

• 16 ounces plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• A pinch of kosher salt

Preparation
In a food processor, mince the onions to a fine paste. Drain out the excess juice with the help of a tea towel and return the contents to the jar. Add the ground lamb, rosemary, minced garlic, marjoram, pepper and salt and grind it to a fine paste. For the Tzatziki sauce, drain the yogurt for about 2 hours in a tea towel. Squeeze the chopped cucumber in another tea towel to remove the excess liquid. Take a medium-sized bowl and mix the drained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, mint, extra virgin olive oil and salt and blend them properly. Place the meat in a loaf pan and press the sides into the pan. Keep this pan in a water bath and bake it in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for about 60 to 75 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and drain the excess fat. Transfer this cooked meat to a separate plate and allow it to cool down for about 20 minutes. Cut this meat into thin slices, top it with Tzatziki sauce and serve it with pita bread and feta cheese.

Gyro Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb
• ½ pound ground beef
• 2 large pita bread rounds, halved
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
• ¼ cup chopped cucumber
• ¼ cup dairy sour cream
• ¼ cup crumbled Feta cheese
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• ¼ cup sliced pitted ripe olives
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Preparation
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cheese, garlic powder, bread crumbs, pepper and oregano. Add the meat and blend all the ingredients properly. Make ½ inch thick patties out of this meat mixture and cook it in a microwave for about 8 minutes. Spread the sour cream in the pita bread and sprinkle tomato, cucumber and lettuce into each half. Place the cooked patties into the half, top it with lettuce and place the other half on top.

You can also use lettuce instead of cucumbers and get a variant for this meat. Try these gyro meat recipes at home and surprise your family with this exotic Greek cuisine.

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