How do you make a Gyro and the cucumber sauce?

Question

I love Gyros but, I don't know how to make it. Is there a such thing as a turkey Gyro? What about the sauce, I think it's called cucumber sauce.....how is it made? If anybody knows an easy receipe, I would appreciate it.

Thanks a bunch!

Answer 1

Minute steaks like frozen Steak-um or Philly Steaks will make a quick substitute to an authentic looking gyro sandwich.



For the phoney gyro, pan fry the Steak-um or Philly Steaks under a medium heat with ¼ cup water, a teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, pinch of salt, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder. As soon as the water boils away flip them over once and fry another minute or until no longer pink and that side starts to brown. Stuff some cooked meat, tomatoes, onions into the pocket of 1/2 slice of pita bread or roll a whole soft pita bread up like in the photo. Add 1 tablespoon sauce.



GYRO CUCUMBER SAUCE



Greek Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce



Guaranteed Delicious, Rich Flavor,

Creamy Texture. One taste will make you a believer.



Ingredient



2 tablespoon whole milk



½ cup small curd cottage cheese, juice

drained (do not use a low-fat or fat free cottage cheese)

3/4 cup plain yogurt (do not use low-fat or fat free yogurt)

1 tablespoon minced cucumber, pat with paper towels to soak up any juice.

Small pinch of white pepper

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon crushed dried mint leaves, stems removed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder







Method



In a Blender, blend everything on highest speed for about 4 minutes, Taste and add salt to your liking, pour into a container then refrigerate 24 hours before using.



Makes about 2 cups.



Tzatziki sauce may also be referred to as tsatziki, tzatziki, satziki, satsike, or simply as a yogurt and cucumber sauce.



This Homemade, Mediterranean Tzatziki White Sauce Recipe is delicious on gyros, pita sandwiches, dolmades, roast lamb, roast pork or beef, fish or seafood, rice dishes, grilled vegetables, vegetable filled egg omelets and many other foods.



As a sauce for a Big Boy hamburger or cheeseburger or another type of sandwich, add and mix in 2 tablespoon dill relish (juice drained,) 2 tablespoon of Real Mayonnaise and 4 tablespoon of this sauce, which is enough for 6 sandwiches. Add 1 tablespoon of sauce to sandwich on top of some shredded lettuce, then add a thick tomato slice and if desired a slice of red onion.





About the Sandwich; Use sweet or mild onions, slice into thin slices and crush them with the bottom of a cup, let them set out to reach room temperature. The tomatoes should be sliced in thin wedges and they as well as the pita bread should be left out long enough to reach room temperature. The sauce should be cool from being refrigerated and only the meat should be warm.



Authentic Greek Gyro Loaf





1 pound fine-ground hamburger *high fat content 30-33% fat is best



1 pound fine-ground lamb

3/4 cup onion chopped very fine

2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon black pepper





Be sure to sprinkle everything all over meat before mixing meat using food handlers gloves, blend in a food processor for about 1 minute, thin with a few drops of water if needed. Hand-pat and very tightly squeeze into a compressed oval shape meatloaf then refrigerate overnight.





Next day, preheat oven to 350-F and bake for 50-60 minutes until somewhat dry. Let set and cool to just warm before slicing thin. To brown slices, pan fry them under a medium heat with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil.





*Hamburger fat helps to bind loaf together.





Makes about a 1 and ½ pound cooked loaf.





*Roll-up some thin sliced gyro meat, tomato wedges, thin sliced onions and a heaping tablespoon of sauce in a whole soft shell pita bread (see photo) or stuff the items into a 1/2 slice of a pita bread pocket and spoon in some Gyro Sauce.



I hope this was helpful,Take Care!!! :)

Answer 2

There is such thing as a turkey gyro. Here is a great recipe that has Greek seasoning, feta cheese and dill-cucumber sauce - makes it taste deliciously authentic, and its EASY!



1/2 pound turkey tenderloin, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 teaspoon olive or canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning

1 medium cucumber, peeled

2/3 cup low-fat sour cream

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons dill weed

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce

8 thin slices tomato slices

2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

4 (6-inch) pita breads, warmed



DIRECTIONS



In a nonstick skillet, saute turkey in oil for 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink. Sprinkle with Greek seasoning; set aside. Cut two-thirds of the cucumber into thin slices; finely chop remaining cucumber. In a bowl, combine the chopped cucumber, sour cream, onion, dill and lemon juice. Place lettuce, tomato, sliced cucumber, turkey and feta cheese on top of pita breads. Top with cucumber sauce. Bring edges of pita over filling and secure with a toothpick.

Answer 3

1. You can use it as a sandwich spread, either with or without the pitas. 2. Make gyros with another meat, like roast beef or ham 3. Mix the cucumber sauce with tuna to make a Greek tuna salad. Serve on the pita bread. Hope this helps! :)

Answer 4

Gyro's

1 1/2 lbs. shoulder lamb*

1 lbs. beef chuck*

1/4 C. dehydrated onions

1/3 C. water

1 T. salt

1 T. sugar

2 t. oregano

2 t. black pepper coarsely ground

1 t. cumin

1 t. hot paprika (cayenne)

1/2 t. cinnamon

2 cloves garlic minced

2 t. vegetable oil

butter



*including some fat 8 or more slices blanched bacon or fresh pork belly slices, if available.



Grind lamb and beef together, using large hole plate on meat grinder. Regrind using small hole plate. In small bowl reconstitute onions in water. In another small bowl combine next 6 ingredients and mix thoroughly. In large bowl combine meat, onions and spice mix. Add garlic and vegetable oil, mix thoroughly with hands until spices are evenly distributed. Refrigerate covered several hours.



In a small skillet, fry a small amount of the meat mixture in a little butter. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if desired. Blanch bacon by simmering in hot water about 3 minutes. If pork belly is used, blanching is not necessary. Drain on paper towels. Line loaf pan (8 1/2 x 5 x 3") with bacon or pork slices, covering sides and bottom. Pack gyros meat into pan, filling to the top of the pan. Cover with remaining slices of bacon or pork.



Place filled pan in hot water bath, reaching 3/4 of the way up the loaf pan. Bake at 375°F. for 20-30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F. and continue baking 30 minutes longer.



Remove pan from oven. Remove loaf pan from hot water bath and place on wire rack to cool. Cover with aluminum foil and weigh with about 2 lbs. weight to compress loaf. Cool to room temperature, refrigerate meat, covered with weight 12 hours or overnight to ripen and increase flavor. Meat will keep for up to 4 days refrigerated. Slice very thin and serve in pita bread with sliced onions, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce.



8 servings



Here is the sauce:



Tzatziki



3 cups plain yogurt (do not use low-fat or nonfat)

1 English hothouse cucumber (about 16 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 large tomato, quartered, seeded, thinly sliced



Place strainer over large bowl. Line strainer with 3 layers of cheesecloth. Spoon yogurt into cheesecloth-lined strainer; let stand at room temperature to drain 3 hours (liquid will drain out and yogurt will thicken). Transfer yogurt to medium bowl; discard liquid. Meanwhile, coarsely grate cucumber. Place in another strainer; let stand at room temperature until most of liquid drains out, about 3 hours. Discard liquid. Squeeze excess moisture from cucumber. Mix cucumber, dill and garlic into yogurt. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix tomato into yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.



Good luck! I make this for my cousin all the time...she loves them.

Answer 5

Here's a recipe from the Food Network (Emeril Lagasse)....looks yummy!:



Greek Grilled Leg of Lamb: Gyros Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Show: Emeril Live

Episode: International Street Fair











1 (4 to 5-pound) boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of visible fat

5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into 20 slivers

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Essence, recipe follows

16 pita breads

Tzatziki Sauce, recipe follows

Chopped tomatoes



With a sharp knife, make 20 slits across 1 side of the lamb and insert the garlic slivers. Place in a large non-reactive dish.

In a bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour over the lamb and rub evenly across the surface. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 and up to 6 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Season lightly on all sides with Essence. Brush a grill lightly with olive oil and preheat to medium heat.

Remove the lamb from the marinade and place on the grill. Cook, turning occasionally until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the grill and transfer to a platter. Tent with foil and let rest for 12 minutes before carving.

Thinly slice the lamb and place the meat in the center of the pita breads. Top with Tzatziki Sauce and chopped tomatoes, and serve.



Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme



Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.



Tzatziki Sauce:

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon minced garlic



In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to marry.





Here's "Turkey Gyro" recipe from http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/turkey-gyros-recipe.htm (although I think Emeril's recipe sounds perfect and you could substitute Turkey if you like):



Ready to serve in: 25 minutes

Yield: Makes 4 servings



The mild flavor of turkey blends well with a wide variety of seasonings. Here turkey tenderloin, which is quick to prepare and low in fat, replaces lamb in gyros.Ingredients: 1turkey tenderloin (8 ounces)



1-1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning

1 cucumber

2/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons dried dill weed

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 pita breads

1-1/2 cups washed and shredded romaine lettuce

1 tomato, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese





Preparation: 1.Cut turkey tenderloin across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Place turkey slices on plate; lightly sprinkle both sides with Greek seasoning. Let stand 5 minutes.



2.Cut two thirds of cucumber into thin slices. Finely chop remaining cucumber. Combine chopped cucumber, yogurt, onion, dill weed and lemon juice in small bowl.



3.Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add turkey. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Wrap 2 pita breads in paper towel. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds or just until warmed. Repeat with remaining pita breads.



4.Divide lettuce, tomato, cucumber slices, turkey, cheese and yogurt-cucumber sauce evenly among pita breads. Fold edges over and secure with toothpicks.