Gyro

[tommy]

i would love nothing more than to duplicate the flavor of that strange pressed-lamb product that gets sliced into pita with that white sauce. but i'm having a hard time pinpointing the components.

there's an indian dish that you sometimes see as an appetizer that has a similar flavor. i'd even appreciate comments on that.

i'm guessing it's primarily dried herbs, but there's something very mysterious in that meat.

any takers?

[Jason Perlow]

Oregano, Rosemary and Garlic I would imagine. Dried, not fresh.

Edit: Just found this thru a yahoo search:

MAKE YOUR OWN GYRO MEAT

Posted by WingsFan91 at recipegoldmine.com (6/5/01 12:38:45 pm)

I found the following on that "other" site.... Thought somebody here might want it! :)

Hi there! I have lived and worked in Greece for a few years, and worked as a butcher in the U.S. for quite some time, so let me shed a bit of light:

Donair (doner or Donar), Gyros, and Schwarma are all pretty much the same thing. The Doner Kebab (probably the closest original ethnic food to the American invention, the Gyro) is originally from Turkey. The gyro is an American invention which is basically a cheap version of a traditional Greek Kebab (the main difference is that the Greek one would use large pieces of boned lamb, pressed together using its own fat as a binder, and marinated, whereas Gyro uses ground meat.) The Schwarma is a version from the Middle East that is much larger, uses a similar meat to the Greek kebab, but less meat and more vegetables in the kebab itself.

A traditional gyro should be made with at least 50% ground lamb, and the rest beef. The best ground to use is one with a high fat content (this is so that during the remixing it binds and keeps it shape well!). The main flavouring ingredients should always be: garlic, onion, marjoram, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Marjoram and Rosemary are similar to oregano and thyme in flavour (respectively), and are common ingredients in Greek cooking. True Greek food rarely uses oregano. The mass-produced Gyros use oregano, not to mention garlic and onion powder, but we used fresh minced garlic and onions. Here is the recipe we used where I used to work (compliments of Feller's Meat in Clearfield, Utah!)

1 lb. ground lamb

1/2 C. very finely chopped (or shredded) onion

2 tsp. fresh minced garlic

3/4 tsp. salt (preferably sea salt)

1/2 tsp. dried ground marjoram

1/2 tsp. dried ground rosemary

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Mix everything together and let sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Blend in a food processor for about 1 minute. (When cooked, this will help give it a more traditional gyro feel on your palate. Otherwise, it just takes like cooked minced meat.)

Form into an oblong around a spit, and slow cook over a grill for around 30-45 minutes, cooking far from the coals, and rotating slowly. Alternatively, bake in the oven in a meatloaf shape for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, at 325ºF. It should be a bit dry.

I hope that helps! ~ Wayne

P.S. Tzatziki is made with 500 ml. plain natural or Greek yogurt, 1 cucumber which has been peeled and descended and grated and drained of extra liquid, and 2-4 cloves of fresh minced garlic. Mix together, and let sit in fridge until ready to use. This is an extremely traditional recipe, and might be a bit sharp for the average American palate, so you might want to halve the garlic amount.

[tommy]

thyme and rosemary are similar in flavor?

thanks jason. i'm going to try something like this.

[Jason Perlow]

Now I'm hungry for gyros. Let me know how the recipe turns out.

[Suzanne F]

Bur how do you "descend" a cucumber for the tzatziki? Drop it out the window?

I've heard great things about Total tzatziki -- but it's so easy to make anyway.

[researchgal]

thyme and rosemary are similar in flavor? 

thanks jason.  i'm going to try something like this.

Tommy, if you're going to make the sauce use Total Greek Yogurt if you can find it, it's much thicker and works great for Tzatziki. Mmmm!

[tommy]

"total" be a brand? what be "total?"

[researchgal]

"total" be a brand?  what be "total?"

Here be Total:

Clickiopolos here

[macrosan]

there's an indian dish that you sometimes see as an appetizer that has a similar flavor.  i'd even appreciate comments on that.

The Indian dish is usually referred to as Seekh/Sheekh/Sheesh/Shish Kebab (in the UK anyway) which is made almost exactly as decsribed in the recipe Jason produced. Becuase of the cooking method, I've found this tends to come out like a sausage, and rather rubbery.

But Shawarma/Doner Kebab, although the ingredients are apparently the same, is spit-grilled differently. The prepared meat is packed onto a spit with a trapezoid cross section (slightly tapered) and the spit rotated. The way it's cooked is to take wafer thin slices off the outside as the "crust" gets cooked just right, so exposing the next layer, and so on. The trick is to have customers coming in at exactly the right rate, so the server is continuously slicing. Otherwise the crust gets overcooked, or you get a slice before it's ready. Perfect shawarma mas that beautiful BBQ-like tangy flavor on one side of each slice, and the other side melts in the mouth.

[Wild Pegasus]

Taken from http://physun.mcmaster.ca/Grad_Petitpas/Li...nks/Donair.html

Donair Sauce

(taken from King of Donair, on `Pizza Corner', Halifax)

2/3 cup canned milk (evaporated is best)

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Corn starch (optional)

Stir canned milk, sugar and garlic powder until sugar is dissolved. Add vinegar and continue mixing. The quicker you add the vinegar and the less you mix, the thicker the sauce will be. Let sauce sit for at least one hour in refrigerator before using.

If your sauce is not thick enough (I like spoons to stand up in it) try adding a teaspoon of corn starch and boiling it in a pot for a few minutes. You should follow the directions on the corn starch box for thickening sauces. Be careful though, I used too much and it was remarkably thick (as I hoped) but it gained a starchy flavour.

Please note, the amount of sauce provided in this recipe will likely last two servings at most (if used properly). I find that the sauce can be made in larger batches and actually freezes quite well. Repeated thawing and reheating of sauce does not seem to affect the taste or quality.

Donair Meat

(adapted from Derek's Place)

3 pounds lean hamburger (triple ground*)

3/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tsp pepper

1-2 tsp cayenne red pepper (depending on your taste)

1 1/2 tsp oregano

3 tsp paprika

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

*Try to get your butcher to run the meat through the grinder a few times. A food processor will do the trick also.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Knead for 20 minutes. Shape into two tightly formed loaves. Bake on broiler pan for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool loaves and slice into thick slabs. Meat can be frozen for future use.

Preparation

Heat donair meat in a frying pan. Dip a pita bread in water and fry in frying pan to soften. Place a generous amount of sauce on bread. Top with meat, chopped onions and tomatoes and finish off with lots more sauce. Put on some old clothes, then roll up or serve open face on a plate. Utensils are strictly forbidden.

[winodj]

Now if someone could actually tell me the difference between gyro and the doner kebap? besides the bread and red cabbage? and why i like the doner better? even though i dont like red cabbage?

[Double 0]

"total" be a brand?  what be "total?"

Total can be gotten at Carrados in Clifton. If you're in the hood check out any Arabic store on Main ST in Patterson for Labini Kefir cheese. Its like a very thick Yogurt and is very tangy and makes real good gyro sauce.

[Fat Guy]

Mark my words: You will never in a million years replicate the mysterious flavor of mass-produced gyros without one simple ingredient, and that ingredient is monosodium glutamate. Get yourself some Cavender's All-Purpose Greek Seasoning or an equivalent product and apply liberally. The taste you're talking about is all in there.

[tommy]

Mark my words: You will never in a million years replicate the mysterious flavor of mass-produced gyros without one simple ingredient, and that ingredient is monosodium glutamate. Get yourself some Cavender's All-Purpose Greek Seasoning or an equivalent product and apply liberally. The taste you're talking about is all in there.

you know, i have no doubt that you're absolutely right.

double o, thanks for the carrado's tip.

as far as "doner" goes, is it not a mix of lamb and beef?

[Schielke]

We get lamb/beef gyros up here in Seattle, I am not sure if that is what makes a doner kebab unique. I think the main differences are the bread (pide bread and not pita) and the sauce is not quite tzatziki, but more garlic directed.

Ben

[Suzanne F]

Now if someone could actually tell me the difference between gyro and the doner kebap?

National pride. For all we (non-Greeks, non-Turks, non-Middle-Easterners) know, the secret recipes could be IDENTICAL

[Charles Smith]

The best success I've had with "gyro-like" taste is with leftover sliced leg of lamb- especially if you use oregano as part of an herb rub, and or sliced (frozen) olives slivered into the meat- it replicates the all-day long spinning on the stick bit.

EVOO, onions, peppers, in a pan, throw in the sliced/shredded leftover lamb, serve with tahini or tsitiki (sp?)- made with Total, or plain Emma- a Swiss brand that is thin (Total is thick)

serve on pita or naan if you can get it fresh (Kalustyan's here in the city)

one of my favorite leftover meals.

Cheers,

Charles

[Sandra Levine]

Someone I know very well once saw a wrapper for the gyro meats that had the ingredients lists. High on the list was spleen.

[Daniel]

Since the days of college park maryland and marathon deli I have been a big fan of the gyro. My problem is i havent really found one I liked since then. I like this green salt they used, white sauce, and xtra feta. Well i have since given up and would like to make my own.. Anyone have a really good step by step recipe for me.

Thanks.

[tommy]

it's my understanding that different cultures pronounce it different ways. can anyone support that?

i think i inquired about a recipe a while ago. a real long while ago. didn't get very far. let's see what happens here.

edit: well looky gyr-o.

Edited November 18, 2004 by tommy (log)

[K8memphis]

I don't have your answer but I love them.

However, everytime I pronounce it, and I pronounce it the way the last person told me to - I get corrected I do not believe there is a correct way to pronounce it. Evidenced by the fact that you put your pronunciation of it in the heading

But I would love to make this too. Looking forward to all the sage answers - wull, lamb & beef anyway

[Daniel]

I don't have your answer but I love them.

However, everytime I pronounce it, and I pronounce it the way the last person told me to - I get corrected   I do not believe there is a correct way to pronounce it. Evidenced by the fact that you put your pronunciation of it in the heading 

But I would love to make this too. Looking forward to all the sage answers - wull, lamb & beef anyway 

←

The reason why i put my heading in quotes is because there was a sign hanging in the restaurant i talked about which said those words exactly written on a sign above the register/ordering area.

[Daniel]

it's my understanding that different cultures pronounce it different ways.  can anyone support that?

i think i inquired about a recipe a while ago.  a real long while ago.  didn't get very far.  let's see what happens here.

edit:  well looky gyr-o.

←

Tommy,

Ever find out the name of that indian dish you were talking about.. I would love to try to make that thing too..

[NulloModo]

Commercial Gyro meat often contains a good bit of bread filler as well. Personally, I think that it is far better without that junk mixed in, but if you want it to taste like a Gyro that comes off of a cart or out of a street stall somewhere, grind some in.

[jhlurie]

Gyro, "Its pronounced yee-row"

For years I got very used to hearing something that sounded a bit more like "yeah-row". Then again, I've also heard "yee-row", "jye-ro", "gear-oh" and probably ten more.