I must try Gyros

[jeff]

Re: I must try Gyros

Thanks for the recipe link fellers. "Gyros" are new to me. Sounds magic.
Btw, my spit is supported at the back wall by ss rod loosely built into brickwork. Front support is hook and chain, also built in. Originally I'd made up a mini tripod, but it was too clumsy, so pulled the arch down and re-built it.

Sorry to read of weather woes over there. Been a bit rough in parts of Oz also.
Jeff.

[Acoma]

Re: I must try Gyros

Dave and Loren, it's me Alton Brown. I want you to know my food is not my specialty. I actually sell the idea of bad eats, but the director of my show keeps telling everyone it is "Good Eats"

[Bacterium]

Re: I must try Gyros

Gyros is great.....my experiences to add......in Australia it goes by a number of different names depending on what state you are from. Hence it can also be called a "Yiros" or a "Souvlaki"
OR
in true Aussie terms some call it the "lamb sandwich". Either way, over here its the Greek take-away shops who usually get it right. For those that don't know - Generally it is a flat pita rolled up with meat (Lamb, Beef or Chicken), lettuce, tomato and onion + "garlic sauce" or tzaziki inside - some add tabouli instead of salad - some like it with BBQ sauce.

Loren makes a good point - it seems those who cook the meat on the vertical spit get it tasting the best. I have done 3-4 vertical spits for parties by borrowing a mates spit. The trick with the meat is to marinate it for a number of days (I do it for 3.) before, in the fridge of course. I usually buy the marinate in a dry powder form from one of the local wholesale meat/food suppliers.

Why is the meat so tender (and the marinate powder doesn't dry it out). Not 100% sure but as the meat is stacked up on one another the juices run down through the whole vertical column of meat - as it cooks. During cooking you keep carving off the outer layer, so the meat doesn't overcook and the juices keep coming.

Sorry I can't really add who we do this in a brick oven yet but a Yiros (as its called in South Oz) is very tasty.

[Inishta]

The real gyros

Hi all……………I don’t wish to start an international incident but the gyros or yiros you refer to are actually a Greek version of Doner Kebabs which were created by the Turkish. The name doner comes from donmek ‘to turn’ in Turkish. It is usually cooked by rotating tightly packed chicken breast or lamb vertically in front of gas burners and shaved off with a knife, almost like a sword, as it cooks. There is often a piece of fat at the top of the cylinder of meat that drips onto the exposed area and moistens the kebab as it cooks. The meat is served either in pide, slightly leavened bread, or rolled in a type of lavash which we call ‘Durum’ There are a lot of cafes with windows on to the street where you can pick up a kebab to eat as you walk along. Most of the kebabs are purchased from specialist meat factories so finding out the spice recipes is very difficult. I shall make some enquiries.

The nature of the cooking makes it almost impossible to duplicate in a WFO as the meat is shaved off as it cooks, exposing fresh meat to the flame. One of my favourite restaurants uses the original horizontal cooking methods for lamb that may be adapted for a barbeque. It would probably work quite well on a rotisserie mounted inside the oven. That would take a bit of work to retro-fit one but is something for an oven builder might think about incorporating. Photos next time I go to town. In the meantime you can get a wealth of info here…………..

Döner kebab - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jeff]

Re: I must try Gyros

Inishta,
Too late: the Red Button has been pressed - missiles launched! hahaha.
Thanks for clarification on Gyros.
I had contact [ESL sessions] with a young Turk a while back.He worked in the local doner kebab shop, and how he endured Ramadan in such a magnificently sensous environment is beyond my agnostic imagination.
I would never have considered doner kebabs from a wfo - until you mentioned it. (Next oven, [two years or so ]. Hmm. And the feller who mentioned a speedo cable! Now there's a thought!)
Inishta, I tried to contact you recently. As a Luddite, even familiar forums pose their challenges...
Mate/[Matess]. So much for ESL. I need IEL.
Stay safe eh,
Jeff.

[jeff]

Re: I must try Gyros

Inishta,
your link to Wikipedia was inspirational.
Thinly sliced meat, on a horizontal spit, and secured by three or four ss skewers should work a treat: no need to go vertical at home, eh.

Typo in previous post: was intended as ISL. (Internet as Second Language). God I'm stupid. Enough.
Jeff.

[gjbingham]

Re: I must try Gyros

Yep, great link and great pics. Doesn't that make your mouth water???

[Loren]

Re: I must try Gyros

I think I will try making the gyro by using my old Farberware rotisserie that will hold the slices horizontally, and if need be I will add some string to keep everything in place. It may be nice to baste it with parsley pesto, that will help the meat from drying out. Once I try it I will let you know how it turned out.

Loren

[Inishta]

Re: I must try Gyros

Inishta, I tried to contact you recently. As a Luddite, even familiar forums pose their challenges...

Jeff.

Hi Jeff................just click on the username and you can send a message using the drop-down menu..............

[gjbingham]

Re: I must try Gyros

Dave,
did you see this vid at YouTube? Now I understand!

YouTube - dirty - the making of Gyros

[Loren]

Re: I must try Gyros

I made the gyros last night. I sliced a leg of lamb and marinated the meat with garlic, marjoram, salt and olive oil, then placed the strips on a skewer with onion every five or so strips. The lamb came out very good, nice and juicy.

Now for the pita. I used 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of yeast, 1/2 teaspoon of salt less than 1/2 cup of water. I also added some oil. I baked it on a pizza stone in the oven for about 12 minutes at about 400 degrees, they turned out a bit crispy. I think I baked them too long but they puffed up nice. I may throw the last one out the window and see if anyone mistakes it for a UFO? Ha ha ha

Here are some pics.

Loren

[gjbingham]

Re: I must try Gyros

Loren,
Cool pitas! Did they deflate when you cut them? That meat looks awesome! Did you eat it all.

Inishta: I had a flatbread in Istanbul about 10 years ago that was about 2 feet long, .5 M, and 8 to 10 inches high, served at our dinner table that was incredibly fun and delicious. It was shaped kind of like an American Football.

Once we tore a piece out of it, the whole thing deflated down to an inch or so thickness. My table of friends just freaked out when they tried it. Delicious!! Any idea what this bread is called, or how it is made?

George

[Inishta]

Re: I must try Gyros

Hi George.........this was a topic I started a while ago and may help.........

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f11/...read-2988.html

[jeff]

Re: I must try Gyros

Ins,
Funny how things go round in circles: I've just acquired a new recipe for Lavash (lavish?) bread.
Thanks eh.
Jeff the Luddite.

[gjbingham]

Re: I must try Gyros

Hi George.........this was a topic I started a while ago and may help.........

Interesting thread and article. Lavash sounds similar, but the pics in my Bread Baker's Bible book are not close to that bread served in Istanbul. It's probably some variation on the theme.

Funny to see that you and James had had the same bread, and were similarly impressed. Great stuff!

George