Zero Heat to Gyro Meat!
The gyro meat is here for you! Let’s see how all the spiced, savory, juicy, lamb gyro meat goodness that you adore is made!
The word gyro pronounced YEE-ROH in Greek means “turn or revolution,” and that’s what this delicious pork cone produces on an upright rotisserie grill. Those adapted from Turkish döner kebap or Middle Eastern shawarma are always cooked with lamb and/or beef (sometimes ground), goat, or chicken, and never with pork.
Gyros are traditionally made with thin slices of well-seasoned lamb, although they can also be made with pork or chicken. After the slices have been seasoned, they are placed on a vertical skewer in the shape of an inverted cone. The meat cone is then placed on a rotisserie, which spins gently while browning and basting itself with fluids and fat as it cooks.
What Is Gyro Meat?
Gyro meat is a strongly spiced cone-of-meat that’s sliced to fill pita bread to create one of the world’s great street snacks. It’s generally cooked in a vertical rotisserie. These delightful sandwiches, known in Greece as Gyros and Turkey as Doner Kebab, are well-known and appreciated around the world, and we are among its numerous fans. The gyro meat is the actual star, despite the warm, fluffy pita and chilli sauces. It’s traditionally made with lamb, a combination of lamb and beef, or even chicken, and is heavily seasoned with salt, herbs, and spices. It is nothing short of a taste explosion.
How To Make Gyro Meat
We have a few tricks up our sleeves for making a typical lamb gyro meat recipe easier to create rather than going out of your way to spend bucks at healthy restaurants in Melbourne. This is how you do it.
Grind the meat finely
It’s important to utilize finely ground meat to obtain the densely packed, easy-to-slice texture of gyro meat. If the ground lamb and pig in your butcher’s case appears to be coarsely ground, you should ask the butcher to re-grind the meat. Alternatively, you can carry the coarsely ground beef home and pulse it in the food processor a few times to obtain a finer texture.
Make a Meatloaf Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, combine the finely ground meat with onions, garlic, eggs, and spices—just like you would if you were making meatloaf. Scallions and fresh herbs add delicious green bits to the mix, and a touch of mustard adds tanginess. The main difference? Skip the breadcrumbs, which would lighten up the texture of your gyro meat. We’re going for a dense texture here.
Bake Gyro meat in a loaf pan
Lay the meat mixture in a greased baking dish and place it in a water bath. Simply place the baking dish in the oven, and then fill the baking dish halfway with boiling water from a kettle. This will guarantee that the meat cooks evenly throughout without scorching at the edges.
Or cook gyro meat in a vertical rotisserie broiler
We have you covered if you want to recreate the Spinning-skewer Gyro-shop experience at home. Place the beef mixture from Step 2 in the center of a big piece of plastic wrap and roll it into a tight log, twisting the ends to bind it while applying pressure to the meat. Allow at least 2 hours in the fridge to allow the texture to firm up. Skewer the beef log onto the rotisserie tines and cook for 15 minutes over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the center reaches 150°F.
Slice and serve
Allow the gyro meat to cool completely before slicing, in either case, to help the texture solidify—this could take as little as 3 hours, but ideally overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, slice the Gyro into 3/8-inch thick slices using a very sharp knife, then brown the pieces in a pan with a little oil.
Fill a hot pita with a few of your Gyro pieces, Greek salad, and Tzatziki.
How Long Does Gyro Take to Cook?
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the Gyro meat is no longer pink in the center and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Allow to drain any excess fat and cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.
What Equipment Can You Use to Make Gyro Meat?
Gyro machine (known as vertical broiler) cooks meat on a rotating spit vertically. Gyro meat is typically made of a tasty beef and lamb combination, although it can also include chicken. Gyro machines come in both electric and gas versions. Gas models use actual flames to cook the meat quickly every time. When making your delectable dishes, this equipment will assist you in achieving the perfect balance of flavor and tenderness. Electric variants employ a heating coil that is simple to use and clean.
How Do You Use a Gyro Machine?
- Slide your choice of meat onto the pole.
- Turn on your Gyro Machine.
- Allow your meat to cook until it reaches a safe internal temperature and is crispy outside.
- Carve meat off the pole and catch it with a catch tray.
- Assemble your sandwich or pita, and you’re ready to serve.
How to Make Traditional Gyros
This step-by-step guide explains how to make Gyro meat and Gyros. At Greek restaurants or food carts, you’ve probably seen the massive rotisseries of spinning meat. You most likely smelled them before seeing them! Each Gyro cone spins around a slow flame, emitting a delicious perfume that will lead you straight to the source.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 pound ground beef, 15% fat or more
- 3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
To serve
- Tzatziki sauce
- Lettuce
- Sliced onion
- Sliced tomato
- Pita bread
Directions
TO MAKE THE GYRO MEAT
Step 1: Process ingredients
Grind the onion for 10 to 15 seconds until finely chopped in a food processor. Squeeze off as much juice as possible from the onions using a dishtowel. Return the onions, beef, garlic, spices, and salt to the food processor. Allow to run for 1 minute until the flesh is very sticky, then pulse a few times until the mixture starts to come together.
Step 2: Form and cook
To prepare a meatloaf in the oven, follow these steps.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius)
- Fill a loaf pan halfway with the ingredients and press it into the sides. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hr and 15 mins or until the mixture reaches a temperature of 165 to 170 degrees in a water bath. Take the pan out of the oven and drain any excess grease.
- Set the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 175°F.
To use a Vertical Rotisserie Broiler, complete these steps.
- Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of two 18-inch-long overlapping strips of plastic wrap. Wrap the mixture tightly with plastic wrap, making sure there are no air pockets. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface is tight after the meat is rolled in it. Allow the mixture to firm up in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Preheat the grill to a high temperature. (For time and temperature, consult your Vertical Rotisserie Broiler’s Manual).
- Secure the meat to the skewer and place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly beneath to catch any drippings.
- Cook for 15 minutes on high and reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beef reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Turn off the heat and spin for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the interior temperature reaches 175 degrees.
Step 3: Slice and sear
- Remove the weight and drain any excess fat. Make sure to dispose of fat properly.
- The meat must next be sliced and seared. It’s considerably easier to slice thinly once it’s been wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the fridge overnight. The fridge time, on the other hand, can be avoided!
- Thinly slice the meat using a long, sharp knife. Add a splash of olive oil to a saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork slices on each side until golden brown.
TO MAKE THE GYROS
Step 4: Build the Gyros
Pita bread can be toasted in the oven or on a stovetop griddle. Build each Gyro with Tzatziki, seared meat, chopped onion and tomatoes, and fresh lettuce in a warm pita. Fold, wrap in foil to keep it together, and dig in!
What Goes Well with Gyros?
A gyro isn’t complete without a generous helping of Tzatziki sauce! Tzatziki is a sour yogurt sauce that goes great with gyros because it cuts through the heaviness of the meat. You may buy it at the shop, but making your own is a simple process. You may tailor it to your preferences.
Recipe for Tzatziki Sauce
Combine a cup of yogurt, half a cup of small diced cucumbers (seeds removed), two grated garlic cloves, a pinch of fresh chopped dill and mint, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Allow for a few minutes for the flavors to meld.
Gyros go nicely with almost any Mediterranean dish. A Greek salad, roasted potatoes with feta cheese, and baklava for dessert will round out your meal. This Greek pita spread might also be topped with several slices of grilled gyro meat for a great supper.
