Alton Brown's Gyro Meat Recipe

"This is a good version of gyro meat. I like to mix in a little ground beef with the lamb. Cooking times are approximate and include resting times. There are a lot of steps but it is easier than it looks. And the end result is worth it."
 
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photo by redkathy photo by redkathy
photo by redkathy
Ready In:
3hrs 30mins
Ingredients:
15
Serves:
6-8
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ingredients

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directions

  • 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 (and beef if using), 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 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 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.
  • Tzatziki Sauce Directions:

  • 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 sauce.

Questions & Replies

  1. so, putting a foil lined brick on it is going to raise the temperature 5 degrees fahrenheit?
     
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Reviews

  1. the texture was good. It was pretty easy to make but I did not care for all the rosemary. I used 1lb ground sirloin, and 1 lb ground lamb. I don't think it taste like a gyro that we get at our local pizza place, but its not bad. I think it needs oregano, and some other spices, definitely more salt and pepper. I saw another post that stated they used Greek seasoning that may be the key. I am going to try that next time. I will review again once I tweak the recipe. The sauce was excellent!!
     
  2. My 7 yr old is the pickiest eater on the planet but for some reason LOVES gyro meat. For his birthday cake he requested me to have a cake made of gyro meat for him because he doesn't like cake (told you he was picky, lol). I found the recipe and made up a batch, gave him a taste and his eyes got so big! He LOVED it! Said it was the best gyro meat he has ever had. wow! Glad he liked it...lets try my 14 yr old son.....yep....he grabbed the entire plate out of my hand and ate it all! Thank you Alton for this recipe, I will be using it quite often I'm sure!
     
  3. This is a good recipe, although the spice combination may not exactly match the flavor of restaurant-style gyros. The rotisserie and oven methods lead to two COMPLETELY different results, my advice for homebcooks is to slightly undercook the meatloaf method, then slice thinly and return to the oven after setting to broil. This will get you that crispy texture you are looking for without requiring a rotisserie
     
  4. This is some good Gyro meat. The person complaining about meat loaf obviously didn't follow the steps to reduce water (squeezing the onion) and didn't use a food processor.
     
  5. Has the consistency of ground meat, like meat loaf, not gyro. Recipe was easy enough to make and follow, seasoning was bland.
     
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