Homemade Gyros on the Grill

You know those days where you cannot get a particular food item off of your mind? I was having days upon days of the thought of a gyro. Unfortunately I live in a part of town that truly does not have a good gyro sandwich, and the closest one to me would be near Milwaukee’s lakefront at either Oakland Gyros or Mykonos, and to tell you the truth, I did not feel like getting in the car and driving to get one. Instead, I wanted to come up with my own take on the gyro, and be able to satisfy that craving any time of the week, and trust me on this one, I think I nailed it right on the head. The combination of lamb and beef round steak, rubbed and marinated with herbs, really took on the flavor that you would typically expect when ordering a great gyro, and heck, homemade tzatziki sauce to boot…. come on, lets get this one started.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless lamb chops
• 2 1/2 lbs of boneless beef round steak
• 3 tbsp of dried oregano (I use the Mexican oregano)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp dill weed
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• Olive oil
• Kitchen String

To make the Gyros

• Good pita bread
• Sliced tomatoes
• Sliced white onions (I let mine sit in water for about 1 hour to reduce the ‘bite’)
• Tzatziki Sauce

Begin by getting some plastic wrap ready, as you will want a large enough piece on both of the bottom and top of the meat. Lay the plastic wrap on your meat board, then top with your lamb chops, adding the top piece of the plastic wrap on top. Use your meat mallet and pound the meat into approximately 1/4 inch thick, being careful not to tear the meat. Best practice is to pound from the center outward. Repeat this process with the boneless beef round.

Now, if you have a spice mill, or better yet, a coffee grinder dedicated to spices, get it out. Add in all of your spiced, and grind until you have a fine powder. To the pounded lamb, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the top, and spread evenly over the top. This will act as a glue to hold on the spices we just ground up. Use about half of the spice mix and evenly coat the top of the lamb. Use a fork, and quickly jab the meat, making certain that all of the spice flavors penetrate the meat.

Do the same with the beef, reserving about a tablespoon of the spice rub.

Now, cut about six inch strips of the kitchen string, as we are going to roll up the meat and tie it to prevent it from unraveling. Add the lamb on top of the beef, and tightly roll into a log. Secure and tie it with the string. Rub more olive oil on the top of the meat, and use the remaining herb mixture to coat the meat log. Cover and place in the refrigerator to let it marinate for at least an hour.

Before you are ready to grill, remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before placing it on the grill.

Bring your grill to a medium heat, and place the meat log on the grill, cooking for at least 1 hour. Check the meat about every 10-15 minutes, turning a quarter turn, building a nice dark crust on the meat. The meat should register about 140 degrees before removing it from the grill.

Cover and let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into it and making your gyros sandwich. Slice the meat when you are ready.

To make your sandwich, heat the pitas on the grill for a few minutes. Place the sliced gyro meat onto the pita bread, add your onion and tomato, and top with the Tzatziki Sauce.

One word. Wow. I mean, Yum.