They say that to get to know the cuisine of any country better, you should go not to a national food restaurant, but to the nearest street food place. If you happen to be in Greece, the first step is to try Gyros - the most popular Greek fast food.
Gyros is prepared very simply and quickly, so learn now how it is made at home.
How to make Greek Gyros at home
Actually Gyros is like one of the popular Turkish dishes - doner kebab which is a thin flatbread stuffed with meat. The Turks do not approve of the Greek variation. They claim to be the ancestors of the Mediterranean Shawarma. The Greeks objected to this by claiming that the Gyros was invented as early as the time of Alexander the Great and his campaigns of conquest.
One day the great commander showed the soldiers how to skillfully roast pieces of raw meat on a sword blade directly over an open fire. He then expertly tossed the roasted meat into a round pita bread, rolled it up and happily dug his teeth into the mouth-watering doner. It is believed that the original name of the culinary innovation was given by the flatbread. After all, Gyros in Greek means circle.
Street master class
Greeks are warm and hospitable people and therefore willingly demonstrate to everyone how to prepare Gyros at home. This usually happens in the fresh air. Next to the master, a skewer with a large piece of pork or chicken slowly rotates. With a sharp knife, he cuts off thin pieces of it. Nearby on a large tray lie a pile of golden-striped toasted flatbreads.
First, the bread is generously spread with Tzatziki Sauce. The bread is then filled with pieces of meat, fries, tomato slices and onion rings. It is rolled up and placed in a thin paper bag.
Since Gyros itself is quite tasty, it does not require special additions. Favorite aromatic Greek herbs such as oregano or mint can be added to the filling for a fresher flavor. Often the inside of the flatbread is covered with juicy lettuce leaves.
At the restaurant, along with the Gyros, they will most likely bring you Fattoush Salad, made with fresh vegetables and olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
Chicken gyros
Classic version of Greek Gyros does not exist. Most often, chicken meat is used as a filling and is supplemented with tomatoes. We will analyze this recipe in detail.
Products required:
wheat flour flatbread - 4 pcs.
boneless chicken legs - 600 g
fresh tomatoes - 2-3 pcs.
garlic - 3-4 cloves
arugula leaves - a handful
olive oil - 2 tbsp.
lemon juice - 2 tbsp.
oregano powder - 1 tsp.
crushed spearmint - 1 tsp.
sweet paprika - 1 tsp.
salt and black pepper - to taste
olive oil - 1 tbsp.
Tzatziki sauce:
thick natural yogurt - 150 g
fresh cucumber - 1 pc.
dill - 3-4 sprigs
lemon juice - 1 tbsp.
garlic - 1 clove
salt and black pepper - to taste
Method of preparation:
Toast the flatbread in a non greased and non-stick pan on both sides, arrange them in a pile and cover them with a clean towel.
For the sauce, finely chop the cucumber, pass the garlic through a press, mix everything with yogurt and chopped dill. Season with lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
Rub the chicken legs with salt and spices, sprinkle with olive oil and grill in a pan until golden brown.
Place meat on kitchen paper and let it cool, cut into strips. Cut the tomatoes into slices, tear the arugula with your hands. Put 2 tablespoons of Tzatziki sauce, spread some arugula and tomato slices. Add chicken pieces on top.
Wrap one edge of the flatbread over the other close it up. The preparation of the other gyros is exactly the same.
Gyros with pork
Pork gyros are not inferior in popularity to chicken ones. Pork neck or fillet is usually used here. In the street version, the meat is grilled or skewered. At home, it is recommended to marinate it for several hours. French fries and onion rings or red onions are also placed in the filling.
Products required:
pork - 300 g
flatbread - 2 pcs.
red onion - 1 pc.
tomatoes - 1 pc.
potatoes - 2-3 pcs.
vegetable oil - for frying meat and deep fat
tzatziki sauce - 100 g
olive oil - 2 tbsp.
ground coriander, chili, marjoram, thyme, oregano, black pepper - a pinch each and
salt to taste
Method of preparation:
Mix all the specified spices with olive oil, grease the meat and marinate for several hours. During this time, cut the potatoes into thin and long strips and fry them. Then, cut the pork into strips and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Make a pocket out of the dry bread, place the fried pork, fries, tomato slices and onion rings and cover everything with Tzatziki sauce. In this form you will serve the Gyros.
Vegetarian gyros
In Greece, although not so often, you can find vegetarian gyros. The good thing is that absolutely any vegetables can be added to the filling. Including fries. In this case, the meat will be replaced with feta, halloumi or another soft cheese.
Products:
flatbread - 2 pcs.
feta cheese - 150 g
potatoes - 3 pcs.
cherry tomatoes - 10 pcs.
cucumber - 1 pc.
pepper - 1 pc.
lettuce - 6-8 leaves
red onion - 1 pc.
garlic - 2-3 cloves
tzatziki sauce - 70 g
lemon juice - 2 tsp.
olive oil - 1 tbsp.
salt and pepper - to taste
vegetable oil - for frying
fresh oregano - 3-4 sprigs
Method of preparation:
Cut the potatoes into strips, fry them, put them on kitchen paper. Cut the sweet pepper, tomatoes and cucumbers into slices of the same size. Chop the onion into thin rings. Dice the feta as for Greek salad. Bake the bread in a pan, spread with Tzatziki sauce, cover with lettuce leaves, mix the chopped vegetables and cubes of feta. Sprinkle everything with olive oil and lemon juice, decorate with oregano leaves, loosely roll the flatbread into a roll.
As you can see, making Gyros at home is easy. You can freely get creative with the fillings and come up with your own combinations.
And as a bonus, you have to check out these delicious Greek recipes. And to complete the menu with a Mediterranean touch, prepare some of the popular Greek cakes.
