A couple of us were on a hut trip in Colorado’s high rockies the other week and had the pleasure of dining on lamb gyros that were prepared mostly at home, but partly at the hut. I was a little dubious how my friends were going to replicate thinly sliced gyros meat without a spit skewer, but the solution is simple enough for any cook whose kitchen has a mixing bowl, loaf pan, knife, cutting board, and skillet.
As for flavor? I underestimated the ability of household spices to add a tasty and familiar depth to ground meat, that once baked in a loaf pan, and cut into thin slices, was browned until crispy in its own tasty juices. Wrapped in a soft pita with tzatziki, cucumber and tomatoes, and rice pilaf — these homemade gyros were delicious, satisfying, and a total treat. The recipe below calls for half ground lamb, half ground beef, but use whatever proportion, or meat, you prefer. Ours was made from 100 percent lamb.
Gyros – yes, that is a singular word – originated in Greece and is believed to have been introduced in the early 20th century, inspired by the Turkish döner kebab and the Middle Eastern shawarma. The dish consists of seasoned meat—traditionally lamb, pork, or chicken—cooked on a vertical rotisserie and served in pita bread with toppings like tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce. Technically, multiple gyros are gyri.
If you’re a vegetarian, consider substituting the lamb meat for chickpeas by following this recipe by Chelsea’s Messy Apron.
Recipe and photo credit: Tastes Better From Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 lb ground beef, 80/20
- 1 onion, small
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or sub paprika and a dash of cayenne
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Make Gyro Meat (Bake in the morning or day before, if possible): Add onion and garlic to a food processor and very finely chop. Add to a bowl along with the ground meat, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, oregano, cumin, and Aleppo pepper. Use clean hands (or wear gloves if desired) to mix and mash the meat together really well, so it holds together densely.
- Bake: Press meat mixture into a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 50-60 minutes, or until the center registers 165 degrees on a thermometer. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes, and then, ideally, if time permits, refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. (Refrigeration will make the meat much easier to slice.)
- Slice Meat: Remove meat from pan (reserve the fat drippings) and cut into thin strips, about ⅛ inch thick.
- Brown meat: Heat a griddle, cast iron or skillet over medium high heat. Add some of the meat drippings or a little oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, lay the meat slices flat in the hot pan and cook for just 1-2 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp. (Alternately, you can lay the pieces flat on a lined baking sheet and broil for a few minutes in the oven.)
- Assemble Gyros: Serve gyro meat in a warm pita, topped with tomato, onion, lettuce, tzatziki, and feta.