Photo credit: Jessica Peck
Who. needs take out? Okay, we all need take out. But you should know how to make some of your favorite carry out foods at home, too. Take gyros. They're basically meat loaf. And super easy to make. They freeze beautifully and come together quickly when you have a stash in the freezer.
Homemade Gyros with Tzatsiki
Gyro meat can be made a day ahead; refrigerate, well-wrapped, until ready to reheat, slice and assemble. Reheat slices just until warm in the microwave. It can also be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
½ medium onion, grated
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground lamb
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, recipe follows
Thinly sliced sweet onion, chopped tomatoes and Greek pitas for serving
Tzatziki Sauce
Makes 1 ½ cups
1 cup plain yogurt
Pinch kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
3 mint leaves, finely minced
Place a roasting pan half filled with water on the center rack in the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
With the motor running, drop the garlic, marjoram and rosemary, onion, salt and pepper into the feed tube; process until finely chopped and well blended, scarping down sides of bowl as needed. Add the lamb; process 2 minutes or until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Press the lamb mixture in un-greased loaf pan; place the loaf pan into the roasting pan/ water bath. Bake 60 minutes. Carefully drain off fat.
Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack. Place a sheet of foil over the meat; top with cans to weight down the meat. Let stand 20 minutes.
Remove meat from pan; slice into very thin lengthwise slices.
Serve in pitas with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, sliced onions and chopped tomatoes.
Tzatziki Sauce In a medium mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros.