Greek Style Lamb Gyros Recipe
Whether you're mowing the lawn, or laying in your hammock watching the grass grow, that summer sun can really take it out of you. When you're ready to recharge and chill out, head inside to whip up some delicious gyros smothered in cool tzatziki sauce, and crack open a frosty cucumber cerveza. Each bite and sip will refuel and refresh. Savory lamb, tangy tzatziki, and crisp cucumber conspire to get you back out there, to live in your moment in the sun.

Ingredients

Tzatziki Sauce

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 T fresh lemon juice
  • 3/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 T fresh mint, minced

Lamb Patties

  • 4 Pita Breads
  • ½ Onion, chopped fine
  • 1 T fresh oregano, minced
  • 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1lb ground lamb

Extras

  • Tomato, diced
  • Iceberg lettuce, shredded
  • Feta cheese, crumble

Directions

  1. Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise.  Use a spoon to remove seeds and dice into small chunks.
  2.  Combine cucumber, lemon juice and 1/8 tsp salt in a colander set over a bowl and let stand 30 minutes to drain liquid.  Discard liquid.
  3. Combine yogurt, cucumber, remaining salt, mint, and garlic in a clean bowl.  Keep refrigerated until ready for use.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°.  Remove top quarter off each pita bread.  Crumble top pieces.  Wrap whole pitas, stacked, in aluminum foil.  Blend pita bread pieces, onion, oregano, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in food processor until it becomes smooth, less than a minute.  Put lamb into a bowl and work pita mixture into it with your hands, until combined.  Portion mixture into patties 1/2 inch thick and 2 1/2 inches wide.
  5. Heat foil covered pitas in oven for 10 minutes.  Preheat oiled cast-iron skillet (non-stick) on medium-high heat until oil smokes.  Add patties and cook until a browned crust forms, 3 to 4 minutes.  Flip patties and reduce heat slightly.  Cook for another 5 minutes until patties are uniform on both sides.  Transfer patties to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil.
  6. Open pitas and add ingredients in this order, Tzatziki sauce, lamb, lettuce, tomato, and feta.  Serve immediately.