Gyro

[Busboy]

For what it's worth, in Greece, the first letter is one of those difficult-to-pronounce consonants foreign languages specialize in. It's very similar to what I believe to be the first sound in the Hebrew pronunciation of "Chanukah", the bastard spawn of the "j", "h" and "ch" sounds. In the US, I just call it a "g"-sound gyro, as an American trying to authentically pronounce Greek for a Hispanic counter guy in a shopping mall food court seems a bit much. I could imagine that if you were a Greek shopowner, however, hearing your mother tongue butchered a hundred times a day could get old, fast.

It's also, generally called a "souvlaki gyro," souvlaki being the name of the dish and "gyro" -- "wrapped" specifies that you want the round, hand-carried version wrather than kind where they lay the ingredients out flat, atop a plated pita.

Not that any of this information is particularly useful, but it's slow at work today.

Daniel -- not sure if you can make the gyro at home, given the importance of the skewer-roasting to the final product and the difficulty of obtaining proper Greek youghurt for the tzaziki. Your marathon search for the perfect gyro may have to continue, Sisyphus-like for eternity.

Where do you live?

[Daniel]

I live in manhattan..

[Busboy]

You can't find a gyro you like in New York? Maybe over in Astoria?

[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.

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You can't find a gyro you like in New York?  Maybe over in Astoria?

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[Stone]

The donner/gyro at Taksim on 2nd at 54 is great. Much better flavor than most.

[Daniel]

do they have the feta

[eunny jang]

-- not sure if you can make the gyro at home, given the importance of the skewer-roasting to the final product and the difficulty of obtaining proper Greek youghurt for the tzaziki.  Your marathon search for the perfect gyro may have to continue, Sisyphus-like for eternity. 

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I think it's more like Tantalus' fate.

I've always heard it pronounced "yu-ro" - but usually I just ask for a (g)yro...I'm enough of a clod already that I'm not worried about it.

[JPW]

The only way to get a real gyro at home is to

a) buy the vertical spit and roaster

b) call Kronos in chicago and have them send you a cone

mmm..... gyro.....

[Daniel]

-- not sure if you can make the gyro at home, given the importance of the skewer-roasting to the final product and the difficulty of obtaining proper Greek youghurt for the tzaziki.  Your marathon search for the perfect gyro may have to continue, Sisyphus-like for eternity. 

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I think it's more like Tantalus' fate.

I've always heard it pronounced "yu-ro" - but usually I just ask for a (g)yro...I'm enough of a clod already that I'm not worried about it.

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I dont know if its going to end that tragically cause i can alway take the three hour drive down to CP. However, i do appreciate the tie in of Greek Mythology with Greek Cuisine.

[Jason Perlow]

Virtually all the commercial Gyro meat is made by Krinos Foods in Long Island City, NY.

http://www.krinos.com

It comes as a big conical shaped thing that you put on this spit/roaster appliance and it cooks the meat.

Krinos is like the Sysco or Goya of the Greek food world. You need it they got it.

[deltadoc]

My It's Greek To Me friends in Minneapolis used to tell me that it's pronounced Ear'-row.

One of my friends from the now defunct Greek Village restaurant told me that all his Greek friends liked the spice base of Shawirma better than their Greek Gyro, so they all used to head down to the now also defunct Abdul's Afandy restaurant in Minneapolis. Abdul's menu had information printed on it that said Abdul knew 8 ways to make Shawirma. Whichever way it was that he was making it, it definitely was better than any Gyro I ever ate.

With that said, my Arab friends at Holyland Bakery also in Minneapolis send their own hand picked meat and spice blend down to Chicago to have the cones made.

At this time, the very best Shawirma in the Twin Cities is at Holyland Bakery and Lebanese Deli on Central Ave in Minneapolis.

They also have a grocery store attached to the restaurant and on the spice shelves are bottles of "Shawirma Spice". I've yet to try that blend, as it's too easy just to go over and order the Shawirma sandwich. I don't think they're using that commercial spice blend as Majdi, the owner, told me that he makes up the spice blend to send with their meat. Just as a side note, the Shawirma can taste different depending on the time of year and whether the meat being used was grass fed or hay fed, and what part of the country the meat came from. One of these guys, I don't remember which one, told me that the commercial cones (Kronos, Central, Athenian, etc.) are basically beef with lots of lamb fat trimmings. Also, cereal grains are a large part of the blend, which helps get that toasty brown layer.

As far as Tzaziki sauce which is cucumber/yogurt based, I instead opt for the Tahini sauce everytime. To me and nearly all of my friends, it is so much more tasty, being based on Tahini, garlic, lemon juice, water, olive oil, salt, & pepper. For variety you can sometimes add just a touch of cumin.

Recently, they had meat bundled together on a spit and sold it as "Homemade Shawirma". I didn't get a chance to try it, as the buffet spread they have now is irresistable, and priced about the same as ordering the special sandwich.

While Abdul once took me into his kitchen and showed me how to make everything on his menu, the Shawirma was the one thing he wouldn't show me how to make!!

But Majdi will rent me the Shawirma machine and sell me a cone whenever I want. So my quest to learn how to make it just isn't incentivized!! (yet!)

BTW: You can also get 5lb "meatloaf" style Gyros from Bill's Imported Foods on Lake Street in Minneapolis, but baking these in the oven, or trying to grill them, just doesn't get the same effect as having those fat juices running down the vertical trapezoid on a revolving grilling machine. I think these 5lb loaves were Central brand.

doc

[Malawry]

Daniel, I work about a block from Marathon Deli. Want me to go ask them about their gyro meat sometime? I've never gone in there, though I have eaten at the new Kosher deli next door to it.

I get Krinos gyro meat from Sysco for work, thereby supporting two evil food conglomrates with a single food order. I don't have a spit so I get the pre-sliced stuff. It's pretty good gridded until crisp-edged, chopped and piled on a big Greek salad with tzatziki.

[Jinmyo]

I get Krinos gyro meat from Sysco for work, thereby supporting two evil food conglomrates with a single food order.

Krinos is evil?

I've liked what I've tried from them.

[K8memphis]

Just as a side note, the Shawirma can taste different depending on the time of year and whether the meat being used was grass fed or hay fed, and what part of the country the meat came from.

Ha! You see??? Just as the pronunciation can change on a whim!!!

[Jason Perlow]

I get Krinos gyro meat from Sysco for work, thereby supporting two evil food conglomrates with a single food order.

Krinos is evil?

I've liked what I've tried from them.

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Krinos has a low end line and their high-end stuff which includes goods imported from Greece made specifically for them. I like their higher end stuff. They are by no means an "evil" company.

[Malawry]

My "evil" comment was a direct descendant of this comment, and was intended to be tongue-in-cheek. My apologies for any confusion. I don't think Krinos or Goya is evil. Sysco may be, but since almost everything I use at work I buy from them I know personally that they're only as evil as what you order and how good your rep is. (Mine's awesome.)

Krinos is like the Sysco or Goya of the Greek food world.

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[Jason Perlow]

Malawry: I'm pretty sure the CEO of Sysco was overheard saying "Alert my Star Destroyer

to prepare for my arrival" a few times.

[rabidscottsman]

Mod Note: Gyro posts here are moved from "Dinner" Thread.

GYROS!

Made with home-made Gyro meat (and freshly baked whole wheat pita) using Alton Brown's recipe, from a recent episode of Good Eats (click)

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That is the best looking Gyro that i have ever seen...that looks awesome!

[SuzySushi]

GYROS!

Made with home-made Gyro meat (and freshly baked whole wheat pita) using Alton Brown's recipe, from a recent episode of Good Eats (click)

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WOW!!! Did that taste as great as it looks???

[Jason Perlow]

WOW!!! Did that taste as great as it looks???

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It tasted very good, but Alton's recipe is not anywhere near as salty as commercial gyro meat, so next time I think we will add more salt than he calls for. Also, commercial gyro is typically a mixture of beef and lamb, and not 100 percent lamb, so it had a softer texture, so next time we will likely mix some beef in.

[Rachel Perlow]

That is the best looking Gyro that i have ever seen...that looks awesome!

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Thank you! As Jason mentioned and linked, the gyro and tzatziki recipes were from Good Eats, the pita bread was adapted from the eGCI Lebanese course recipe.

[AK@Spicehouse]

Did you use Alton's loaf method or did you use the box thingie he created with the clip on heater elements???

That is the best looking Gyro that i have ever seen...that looks awesome!

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Thank you! As Jason mentioned and linked, the gyro and tzatziki recipes were from Good Eats, the pita bread was adapted from the eGCI Lebanese course recipe.

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[Rachel Perlow]

Meatloaf method. We don't have a rotisserie for our grill. When it was first done, it was high in the pan, putting another loaf pan with cans of tomatoes in it on top weighed it down into a rectangular brick, so I could get those nice even slices.

[FoodMan]

Meatloaf method. We don't have a rotisserie for our grill. When it was first done, it was high in the pan, putting another loaf pan with cans of tomatoes in it on top weighed it down into a rectangular brick, so I could get those nice even slices.

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That thing does look awsome. I am glad someone tried the loaf method, since this is my only option as well. I wanted to try this as soon as I saw AB prepare it on TV but was a little turned off by the lack of a rotiserrie. Not anymore...

Elie

[Rachel Perlow]

It didn't get as browned on the sides as it would with a rotisserie, but once it is all sliced up, that didn't bother me. If you like the commercial Krynos gyro, up Alton's salt by 50%. Also, I preground the dried rosemary, marjoram and pepper in my coffee/spice grinder. The herb flavor really stood out. I usually winged it when I've made tzatziki, I highly recommend Alton's recipe, the olive oil and vinegar worked beautifully. I even used the oniony tea towel to drain the yogurt, as recommended on TV, but not mentioned in the written recipe.