GYROS RECIPE LAMB RECIPES

Steps:

• You know when you hear chefs talking about “mise en place,” or the process of prepping all your ingredients? Well, that’s what you’re about to do. Cut 1 lemon into wedges and slice off white strip at the point of each wedge, also cutting out seeds (discard white part and seeds). Set wedges aside. Separate leaves of 1 romaine heart and wash/dry if necessary. Tear any large leaves into pieces. Strip oregano leaves from stems; discard stems. Set aside 1 Tbsp. oregano leaves. Finely chop the rest and transfer to a large bowl. Cut 1 cup cherry tomatoes in half.
• Finely grate 2 garlic cloves into bowl with chopped oregano. Add 1 tsp. salt, several dashes of hot sauce, and 1 Tbsp. cold water.
• Add 1 lb. lamb and use 1 clean hand to knead mixture, simultaneously rotating bowl with your other hand, to incorporate. Knead until a light film forms on side of bowl and mixture holds together in a single mass and is very firm (it will spring back when pressed), about 1 minute.
• Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high until oil is shimmering. Carefully add lamb mixture and press into a single flat layer with a flexible spatula (a fish spatula works great for this). → Real Talk: A fish spatula is the only spatula you need.
• Cook meat, undisturbed, until underside is browned and crisp around the edges, 5–7 minutes. Watch out for splatter and reduce heat slightly if mixture is splattering a lot. → The secret to browning meat so it's crispy and delicious.
• Using spatula, break patty into smaller pieces and turn. Cook pieces on the other side until edges are crisp and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat and transfer lamb to a clean large bowl with spatula, then break up meat into small pieces with end of spatula.
• Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from skillet into a small heatproof bowl and reserve. Return skillet to medium heat. Working one or two pitas at a time (depending on size of pitas and skillet), cook pitas until underside is golden and crisp around the edges, 1–2 minutes. You only want to crisp 1 side. Transfer pitas to cutting board crisped side down. Add an extra splash of reserved fat to skillet and repeat with remaining pitas.
• Finely grate remaining garlic clove into a small bowl and add ¾ cup yogurt and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Season with salt and squeeze 2 or 3 lemon wedges into bowl. Stir with a spoon to combine.
• Time to build your gyros: Arrange a layer of lettuce leaves down center of each pita (don’t feel like you have to use all the lettuce). Spoon crispy lamb over lettuce, dividing entire mixture evenly. Top with tomatoes, also dividing evenly. Drizzle yogurt sauce over. Dust with an extra sprinkle of salt, then top with reserved oregano leaves. Add hot sauce to taste and serve with remaining lemon wedges alongside.

Steps:

• Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.
• Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.
• To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.
• To cook on a rotisserie, proceed as follows:
• Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.
• Preheat the grill to high.
• Place the meat onto the rotisserie skewer. Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
• Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
• Yield: 1 1/2 cups