Gyro Meat
Ingredients:
1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of ground lamb
2 cloves of garlic
1 large onion
1 tablespoon of marjoram
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of thyme
½ tablespoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
Steps:
- The first thing you are going to want to do is to grind the beef and lamb together into a fine mixture. The meat is often put into a blender or food processor to turn the meat into a paste-like mixture. This will help the two meats mix together, let you integrate the gyro seasoning into the mix, and give you the ability to form the meat into the thin slices that gyros are known for.
- Mix all of the ingredients into the meat. To make authentic homemade gyro meat, you have to get the flavor right. Hopefully you have a fine paste of beef and lamb mixture that is easy to mix with the spices. If you used a food processor or blender, you can add the onion and garlic cloves into the mixture and use the processor to mix everything together. If not, you will want to chop and mash the onions and garlic so they will be easy to mix in without any noticeable chunks.
- Let the meat and gyro seasoning chill in the fridge for at least an hour in the bowl.
- Cooking the meat will remind you of cooking meatloaf, but this gyro meat recipe will be miles above the meatloaf you remember from dinner at grandma’s. You will want to get a loaf baking dish to spread the gyro meat out in. A 7×4 dish is the standard, but anything that fits your meat in a rectangular pattern will work.
- You will want to bake the meat at 325 degrees fahrenheit for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Make sure the meat has reached 165 degrees on the inside.
- Remove the loaf and wrap it in tin foil and place it on a cooling rack. Place a pan on top of the loaf, or anything to weigh it down. This will help the meat become denser and get the desired gyro meat consistency.
Learning how to make gyro meat isn’t the only piece of the puzzle in your search for an authentic Greek meal. There are a few other steps to completing and amplifying the dish.
- Puree the onion, garlic and herb mix before adding it to your gyro meat. This will help even out the gyro seasoning distribution.
- Serve your gyros in a piece of pita that has been lightly grilled, and add sliced tomatoes, minced onions and lettuce. Some people will also add ketchup or mustard to their wrap. Include a side of french fries and your meal is complete.
- A more traditional method of cooking includes grilling the meat on a rotisserie skewer. This is a more difficult option, but will cook the meat more evenly and add a good texture to it. You will want to leave the mixture in the refrigerator overnight so you are able to form it in rolls easier. Then you will grill the meat on medium-high until the internal temperature reaches 165.
- Use your gyro meat to make gyro nachos. Instead of a pita wrap, combine your ingredients, including the tzatziki sauce, on top of a plate of chips. It is a great way to make a snack for game night or just a good, crunchy alternative to classic gyros.