Skip to main content

Gyro Meatloaf and Tzatziki Sauce



This recipe owes itself to my blog idol, Chef John. 

I find his videos easy to follow, and his sarcastic and pun-tactic sense of humor is engaging and chuckle worthy. Plus, he is an excellent chef and his experience and expertise helps me to travel the culinary world without ever leaving my kitchen. 

When I studied abroad in Italy, there was a doner kebab shop right around the corner from where I went to school. I cannot tell you how many late nights my friends and I would go there and order that delicious flatbread sandwich, stuffed with tzatziki sauce, meat shaved off a vertical rotisserie, and lots of veggies. It was a delicious treat, but not one I have been able to indulge in out in rural Maine.

I do have a vertical rotisserie, and someday hope to be able to recreate the shaved meat doner kebabs in my memory, but I was thrilled when Chef John posted this recipe. This recipe makes an incredibly aromatic, spiced meatloaf that serves an an excellent substitute. Top it off with my tzatziki sauce and some vegetables, and you are set!



Tztaziki Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup greek yogurt
2 minced garlic cloves
2 cucumbers, seeded and shredded
1 tablespoon chopped dill
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly cracked black pepper

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour, but overnight is better.


Meatloaf:
Ingredients:
1 pound ground bison
1 pound ground lamb
1 medium sweet onion finely diced
5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
4 teaspoons italian herbs (thyme, parsley, basil, oregano)
3 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons seasoned panic breadcrumbs

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together all of the ingredients thoroughly. Press into an 8 by 8 inch baking dish. Bake the meatloaf for 45 minutes. Allow to cool, and drain off the excess fat. Refrigerate until cool, for 4 hours or overnight.


Slice the meat into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Sear in a nonstick pan over high heat. Lay a piece of flatbread, spread with some tzatziki sauce, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, the sliced gyro meat and pickled red onions or thinly sliced fresh red onions. Enjoy!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cookies

Like many of you, I made an entire Thanksgiving Day feast for only my husband and I. As such, I have an inordinate amount of leftovers. Expect my blog to largely star ways to dress up leftovers, because I have freezer meals of Thanksgiving day to last a lifetime. In this recipe, I was looking for a way to use up cranberry sauce and leftover walnuts from my apple crisp. Cranberry sauce drop cookies seemed the perfect thing to make; enjoy it with a cup of hot cocoa. I plan on gifting some to my parents; a way to break bread near the holiday without breaking protocols. Enjoy!  Ingredients: 3 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 2 sticks of butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 cup cranberry sauce 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup chopped nuts Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside a rimmed baking tray. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside. With ...

Samosas with Yogurt Sauce

I love exploring many kinds of cuisine in my kitchen because I can control the spice level, and in the case of this recipe, the use of cilantro. Cilantro lovers out there- sub it info the parsley here. I have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap, which limits my ability to enjoy some dishes in restaurants, but is easily rectified in my own kitchen. I hope you enjoy! Ingredients:  3 russet potatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped 2 teaspoons curry powder 5 ounces peas Six 8 inch flour tortillas 4 ounces Greek yogurt Oil, salt, pepper, vinegar 4 tablespoons butter Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Scrub potatoes and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Place in a large saucepan with a generous pinch of salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and bring to a boil over high; uncover and cook until tenderDrain potatoes and transfer to a bowl.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in reserved saucepan over medium. Add chopped garl...

Peek-a-boo Squares

My grandma, Mimi, taught me this recipe. I used to make this with her and my mother as a child. It is my very favorite dessert. It is incredibly easy to make, and even easier to eat. My favorite part of making this as a child was dusting every bar generously with snowy white powdered sugar.  My favorite version of this dessert uses canned blueberry pie filling; I vastly prefer Libby brand over the store brand. You can make blueberry pie filling from scratch with sugar, cornstarch, bleberries, etc. but using the canned stuff is easy in a pinch and is much for nostalgic for me. Plus, I don’t notice a vast improvement over my homemade blueberry pie filling and the Libby brand; it just takes me longer to put this dessert together.  I have been known to whip up a pan of these Friday night and have them disappear by Saturday afternoon. Be warned, these things are addictive! Ingredients: 3 cups of all-purpose flour 2 cups of granulated sugar 4 eggs 2 ...