Gyro Meat with Tzatziki Sauce from JJ in CA
Why I Love This Recipe
Tzatziki Sauce:
16 ounces plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced
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
Ingredients You'll Need
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded (I used 1 T dried, minced)
* 2 pounds ground lamb
* 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (I used ¼ tsp powder)
* 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
* 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Tzatziki Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat oven to 325
My directions, simplified. (Alton's are below)
Put all dried herbs in a Magic Bullet and whir away until powdered.
Add meat to food processor and add powdered herbs. (Don't skip this or the texture will be all wrong)
Process until it’s a paste consistancy, scraping sides as needed.
Place meat mixture in a loaf pan, pressing to the sides of the pan.
Place loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 – 75 miutes.
Remove any fat from loaf pan.
Wrap a brick in aluminum foil (I use 2 heavy cans in a smaller loaf pan) and place on top of the meat.
Allow to sit 15 – 20 minutes.
Carve and serve. I skip the tzatziki sauce.
