Recipe Gyro homemade!

medtran49

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The original recipe came from "My Adventures in BBq'in and Grillin': Rotisserie Grilled Greek Gyros." The web site was gone the last time I looked. I have modified the recipe in spices and technique to fit our tastes.

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2 lbs ground lamb or a mix of lamb and ground beef (which is what we did, some ground pork might be good too)
1 medium white onion
4 large cloves fresh garlic, chopped fairly finely
1/2 tablespoon dried basil (original called for marjoram but I can't stand it so changed)
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (may add more if you like it spicy)
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon peel

Cut onion in large chunks and place in a food processor with the garlic, pulse several times, scraping down, until very finely chopped. Remove the onion and the garlic from the food processor and wrap in a clean towel or piece of cheesecloth and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Place in a large bowl with the ground lamb/beef.

Grind the spices, red pepper flakes and salt into a powder in a spice grinder.

Add the spice mixture, white pepper and lemon zest to the bowl with the ground meat, onions and garlic. Mix. Place half of the mixture into the bowl of a food processor and process it until everything is mixed thoroughly, scraping down from time to time, and you have created a seasoned meat paste. Remove from the bowl, then repeat with the remaining half.

Place the mixture on a double-layer of plastic wrap about 14-16 inches long, with the long side facing you. Form the meat mix into a roll about 7-8 inches long and start to roll at the edge of the plastic wrap. Twist the long ends to close. Using another piece of plastic wrap, with short end facing you, wrap again. Twist both ends. Then, stand on 1 end and twist down with the other so that you compact the meat mixture into a firm log. You can also use a triple layer of cheesecloth to do this, which is actually easier as the cheesecloth will let the air escape as you tighten it down, unlike the plastic wrap.

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Let the log set up overnight in the fridge. Then, 2 hours before cooking, remove the plastic wrap and re-wrap in heavy-duty foil and place in the freezer.

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For cooking, build a 1-zone fire with medium heat. The charcoal caddies for a Weber grill come in handy so the coals can be easily moved later. When the fire is ready, take the meat out of the freezer and place the log on your rotisserie spit, centered and with forks set opposite each other. Place your charcoal caddy directly under the meat for about 30 minutes.


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After the 30 minutes, move the charcoal caddy off to one side. Remove the foil from the loaf. You want to brown the outside and give it a nice crispy crust. Try to keep the top on as much as possible to keep the heat in. Pull the loaf at 150. Let it stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

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Serve with your favorite tzatziki sauce, feta, sliced tomatos, lettuce, watermelon/cucumber/mint salad, whatever you want.
 
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Some people have done this in the oven as they don't have a rotissiere and/or grill. Baked at 375 F or so until about 145 F degrees internal, then removed from oven, turned broiler on high and let heat, back into oven close to element, turning frequently to let brown on all sides, watching carefully so as not to burn. We have never tried this so can't vouch for accuracy, but it sounds about right.
 
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