This was such a fun recipe to make, and I felt so accomplished afterwards because it worked on the first try! That’s always a good sign, when something you think will be hard (after all, we usually pay for take out when we feel like this), turns out to not only be incredibly easy, but also fool-proof. The only mistake I made was thinking this was the perfect meal to make for my Mom before she went on a trip… to Greece, lol. Don’t be intimidated at the thought of making gyros at home. I made it on the rotisserie on the BBQ, but don’t worry if you don’t have one (or it’s the middle of winter and standing in a foot of snow doesn’t appeal to you), there’s instructions at the end for the oven too.
Here’s the recipe for homemade pitas too, which are WAY easier than you think to make. You’ll never buy them again!
Because I was nervous making this, I’m assuming some of you might be too. After the recipe I’ll include some step by step photos, so you can see just how easy it is. Enjoy!
Better Than Takeout Homemade Gryos
Ingredients
- 1 onion, cut into chunks
- 1½ lbs ground lamb
- 1½ lbs ground beef
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp dried marjoram
- 1½ tsp dried rosemary
- 1½ tsp dried thyme
- 1½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the onion in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Pour it out onto a towel and wring out all of the liquid that you can.
- Place the drained onion, along with all the other ingredients, into the food processor. Process until it forms a paste, about 1 minute.
To Grill:
- Remove the meat mixture to a long piece of plastic wrap (use two pieces side by side, overlapping slightly). Shape into a log, then wrap as tightly as possible with the plastic wrap, twisting the ends to help tighten. Place in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or overnight, to let all the flavours combine.
- Place the chilled meat onto your spit, then onto your rotisserie. Put a foil pan underneath to catch any drippings.
- Cook on high for 15 minutes to sear the outside, then reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the center of the meat reaches 165ºF, about 25 minutes. Turn off the heat, but continue to let spin until the center reaches 175ºF, about another 15 minutes. This spin with the heat off counts as your resting time, so slice the meat now and enjoy.
To Bake:
- Pack the meat mixture into a large loaf pan (or two smaller ones, just adjust cooking time as needed). Cover the top with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least two hours, or overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF with a rack in the middle position.
- Place the loaf pan onto a folded kitchen towel in a large roasting pan (the towel will stop it from moving in the water bath). Place the roasting pan into the oven, then add boiling water until it reaches half way up the loaf pan.
- Bake until the meat reaches 165ºF, about 50 minutes. Pour off any accumulated fat, and let rest an additional 15 minutes, until the temperature reaches 175ºF.
- Slice thinly and serve.
Ok, here are the step by step photos.
Put everything into a food processor (if you don’t have one, I would just use beaters).
Give it a whirl until it looks like a paste, about a minute.
Form it into a log on some plastic wrap. If you’re baking it, just press it into your loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap.
Wrap it up into a tight log, as tight as you can get it, and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Stick it on your spit, or into your oven, and let it cook.
Let it rest for about 15 minutes so you don’t lose any of the juices.
Then just slice it nice and thin.
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com
Katrina
Diane
Katrina