Traditional Gyro Meat

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp ground rosemary
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

METHOD
1. Mince the onions and garlic in a food processor. Dump the contents into a strainer or a towel and squeeze the liquid out. Place the onions in a large mixing bowl and add the meat and all spices. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1.5 to 2 hours (overnight would work as well).

2. Place the mixture back into a food processor and let it run for about 1 minute to make sure everything is fully combined. You want to avoid distinguishable chunks of any particular ingredient. Form the mixture into a meatloaf shape. You can mash it down into a loaf pan, or a simple shaping with your hands would work as well. The key here is to try to get any air pockets out so that it will cook consistently through the center.

4. Place the loaf on a wire rack with another pan underneath and bake at 325° for about 45 min or until the meat is cooked all the way through. The bottom pan is just to catch the fat and juices that fall as it cooks. Some recipes recommended cooking it in a loaf pan, but after seeing how much fat fell out, I think this method is preferable.
Seth’s tip: Cover the bottom pan with aluminum foil for an easier cleanup!

At this point, you are technically finished, but I wanted to attempt to duplicate the meat as it is in the gyros we eat, so I had one more step to go.

I sliced it very thinly and seared the pieces in a skillet on high heat to give it more of a char-grilled taste versus a baked loaf.

The verdict: It was really pretty good. Not quite the same as we have come to know and love, but I knew it would be difficult to duplicate the restaurant’s slow rotisserie method. I fully intend to give this another shot at some point, hopefully making some improvements along the way. If anyone knows any tips or suggestions for making this a little more authentic, please leave a comment and let me know.