Homemade Smoked Gyros | Lamb & Beef Gyro Recipe

pork

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: turkey

Chicken is leaner and more affordable.

tzatziki sauce

🥗Healthier: yogurt with herbs

💰Cheaper: sour cream with cucumber

Yogurt with herbs maintains flavor with fewer calories.

Start with the meat, using a combination of ground lamb and beef or just ground lamb.

For this recipe, use lamb shoulder chops for better moisture and flavor.

Grind the lamb shoulder chops and ground chuck together.

Grind garlic and onion with the meat for better mixing.

Add pink salt or speed cure to the meat mixture to help distribute flavors and ensure food safety.

Remove bones from the lamb before grinding.

Use a 3/8 inch plate for the first grind, then switch to a 3/16 inch plate for a finer grind.

Mix in seasonings: marjoram, cracked rosemary, and whole oregano.

Add four teaspoons each of kosher salt and black pepper, and a quarter ounce of speed cure dissolved in half a cup of water.

Mix the meat by hand until tacky and gummy, indicating protein extraction has occurred.

Pack the meat into an aluminum tray lined with plastic wrap to prevent sticking and oxidation.

Cover the meat with another piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to allow the cure and flavors to develop.

Prepare to smoke the feta cheese by cold smoking it at about 90 degrees for two hours.

Set up the smoker to 130 degrees, then increase to 150 degrees after one hour, and finally to 180 degrees for the last hour until the meat reaches 155 degrees internal temperature.

Let the smoked meat rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

For tzatziki sauce, grate about half a cup of cucumber and retain the juices.

Grate one clove of garlic.

Add about a tablespoon of chopped fresh dill to the sauce.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens