Lamb Gyros?

[debbie_7155]

Hello, Does anyone have the recipe for making lamb gyros greek style way ?

when we lived in germany 15 yrs ago , i ate that alot from one of those little food places they have over there,
all i remember was you would get on a plate, lamb strips piled high, with pitta bread, salad, & fries,with sauerkraut (which i managed to get a jar of)

i would love to be able to make it just like it was all those years ago...ive got such a strong craving to eat it right now..lol
would also bring back lovely memories

 

[pdswife]

Sauerkraut on gyros? I've never heard of that. Sorry but ick!!!

I make a leg of lamb ... stab it all over and stuff garlic cloves in all the holes.
Rub meat with a mixture of olive oil, onions, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano.
Roast in oven. Keep brushing with the mixture while cooking.

I use the same kind of mixture on the pita bread that I brown lightly right before putting the meat on. Add onions and tomatoes and tzaki and you've got a great dinner!

 

[pdswife]

p.s. If you roast some potatoes in the same pan and baste with the lamb drippings.. your tummy will be very happy!

 

[debbie_7155]

sounds good pdswife, but not quite what im looking for,
the sauerkraut is on the side of the plate not on top of the lamb,
the lamb is cut into strips, all i know is that the place where we used to have it alot was a greek place

i just dont know any of the ingredients they used to cook the lamb with

 

[pdswife]

I should have said that you cook the lamb and then slice it and put it onto/ in the pita.

Good luck in your search. If you can't find what you're looking for give my way a shot. It really is good.

smiles, T

 

[debbie_7155]

i certainly will do, ive wrote it down in my recipe book
ty once again for that lovely recipe

 

[pdswife]

you're very very welcome!

 

[nrkelly]

I lived in Germany all my life. When we bought gyros, they didn't put sauerkraut on it, they put some marinated raw cabbage on it. very good.

 

[Banana Brain]

No, but I can tell you that beef gyros taste better.

 

[Swann]

My son was talking about the gyros in Germany today. He said that the ones he really liked were Turkish. He lived in Swabish Gmund for 3+ years so they may have been just in that area.There was a very large Turkish population there. I like a good gyros whether Greek or Turkish.

 

[velochic]

The stands in Germany are all pretty much Turkish Döner vendors (they also sell roti chicken, you can find falafal and other great middle eastern dishes here), but boy the Greek restaurants sure are great, too!!! There is this one in Haar b. Munich that has the best gyros in the world, if you ever find yourself in our part of the world! The döner (or gyros) are usually a mix of lamb, beef and spices. The great taste come from the meat basting itself as it turns around. I don't think you can recreate that in a kitchen. I've never seen sauerkraut or cabbage on them. The Greeks do the tomato-onion-tzaziki condiment and the Turks do french fries (among other things).

My suggestion... get thee back to Germany!!! (Or Turkey or Greece!!)

 

[nrkelly]

My suggestion... get thee back to Germany!!!

LOL, as soon as I finish my degree next year, I'm applying for jobs over there. I lived there from 79-97 and I miss it soooooo much! My husband does too. It's home for us.

and sorry but the best donar kebabs were at this little takeout place in Ramstein village!

 

[Yakuta]

Debbie since you live in the U.K. I will give you a suggestion. If you go to any Indo/Pak or Middle-eastern markets they sell Gyro Strips (frozen case). All you do is thaw, pan fry the strips and warm pita and then top it with any sauce you like.

The strips can be used for gyros and for Shwarma which is more popular in the middle east. They are pretty similar, the only difference is the sauce that they are topped with and the condiments that go on it.

I personally think gyro's are a hassle and with a lot of effort they still don't come as good as what is available at a gyro place or the ready made strips.

My aunt works in a professional kitchen and she told me that she will share the recipe that they use. It is not totally authentic but she said the meat is actually pounded with all the herbs and spices to get that strong taste, marination alone does not cut it.

 

[velochic]

LOL, as soon as I finish my degree next year, I'm applying for jobs over there. I lived there from 79-97 and I miss it soooooo much! My husband does too. It's home for us.

and sorry but the best donar kebabs were at this little takeout place in Ramstein village!

Oh, aren't these little places just GEMS?!?! I love finding these places that seem like they coudn't survive, but somehow they do and their food is awesome!! It's so... personal, I guess. Like eating at someone's home instead of eating at a restaurant.

 

[Ishbel]

So, the exotically named 'gyros' are really doner kebabs? Hmmmmmm

Doner kebabs are available on most high streets in the UK... The perfect ending to a drink-laden evening out... Doner, in pitta bread. (It's YEARS since I ate one!)

 

[rickell]

Beef Gyros

No, but I can tell you that beef gyros taste better.

NEVER HAD ONE JUST REPLACE THE LAMB WITH BEEF???

 

[velochic]

So, the exotically named 'gyros' are really doner kebabs? Hmmmmmm

Yep!! As explained to my by my hubby, döner means "to turn" in Turkish, just like "gyro" means it in Greek. It's the meat turning on the spit. I've never been to Greece, just to Greek restaurants in the US and Europe, but other than perhaps the way they serve them (in Turkey, they usually put french fries on them), the basic meat itself is identical, I believe.

 

[KellyM]

Hello, Does anyone have the recipe for making lamb gyros greek style way ?

when we lived in germany 15 yrs ago , i ate that alot from one of those little food places they have over there,
all i remember was you would get on a plate, lamb strips piled high, with pitta bread, salad, & fries,with sauerkraut (which i managed to get a jar of)

i would love to be able to make it just like it was all those years ago...ive got such a strong craving to eat it right now..lol
would also bring back lovely memories

"Gyro" refers to the apparatus that cooks the meat, rather than to the Greek sandwich most of us think of when we hear the term "Gyro" And by the way, it is properly pronounced "year-oh", instead of the way most New Yorkers seem to think, which is "jie-roe."

Now, I will be the first to welcome international and intercontinental adaptations of traditional dishes, but this also makes it very hard to help you with the dish you like. You see, no true Greek gyros would be caught dead next to or surrounding sauerkraut.

The normal "lamb meat" for a gyro is more like sausage, typically consisting of ground lamb, onion, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper. The dressing typically consists of yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil ,vinegar, and mint leaves.

However, I really have no idea what the German conception of this is. But since you asked about the "greek style way" I just thought I'd put in my two cents, and maybe add some clarification.

 

[velochic]

The strips can be used for gyros and for Shwarma which is more popular in the middle east. They are pretty similar, the only difference is the sauce that they are topped with and the condiments that go on it.

Thanks for bringing this up, Yakuta. I just found out (discovered) from my husband that Shwarma means "to turn" in Arabic. He says it comes from the turkish "cevirmek". They are all related to this turning on the spit of the meat. Gyros... Döner... Swarma... all about the act of turning the meat. Interesting.

Oh, I wanted to say something about the sauerkraut... although I've never seen it in Germany, it could be a local recipe in a smaller town. Sauerkraut in Germany DOES NOT taste like the sauerkraut in the US. It may sound disgusting, but you might be thinking of the sauerkraut you get in a jar in the US. That is nothing like what you get in Germany. REAL sauerkraut would probably taste pretty good with gyros.

 

[Ishbel]

Well all the late night takeaway doner kebabs in the UK are called precisely that, doners, probably cos the Turkish Cypriots got here first, before the Greek Cypriots! I suppose it's a bit like the Europeans calling the skewered meat and veg 'kebabs', whilst Americans seem to call them kabobs.

Heheheee - it's just that I thought gyros were something quite exotic... thanks for clearing it up, Velochic!