Traditional Greek gyros (pronounced YEER-ohs) are made from minced lamb or beef that has been molded into a 20-pound cone and roasted on a spit. The meat is sliced, then wrapped in a pita with onions, tomatoes, and tzatziki, a cucumber sauce. Because roasting 20 pounds of meat isn't practical for most of us, we've come up with a scaled-down version that embraces the spirit of the dish.
What you'll need
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pita bread, cut in half to form pockets
- Lettuce
- Tomato, sliced
- Red onion, thinly sliced
- Tzatziki
- Fresh mint leaves (optional)
How to make it
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl and let it cool.
Add the lamb, lemon juice, oregano, rosemary, cumin, salt, and pepper to the onion mixture and mix well. Form the meat into 8 thin patties, each about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
Heat the remaining oil in the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb patties and cook for about 5 minutes or until the juices run clear, flipping the patties halfway through.
Fill each pita pocket with a meat patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, tzatziki, and mint leaves, if desired. Makes 8 gyros.
Nutritional Information
Per serving (2 patties): 614 Calories • 29g Protein • 4g Carbohydrates • 53g Fat • 124mg Cholesterol • 19g Saturated Fat • 688mg Sodium
