Gyro Cucumber Sauce Tzatziki Recipes

STEAK GYROS WITH TZATZIKI CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• Place steak, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and juice from 1/2 lemon in a large resealable bag. Press excess air out and seal bag. Refrigerate for 1-8 hours.
• Spread cucumber slices out on a paper towel. Sprinkle generously with salt on both sides and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Wrap cucumber slices in paper towels, squeeze excess liquid out, and transfer to a food processor or blender.
• Add remaining sauce ingredients to blender and pulse until smooth and creamy. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• Preheat grill, grill pan, or cast iron skillet, to medium-high heat. Use tongs to transfer steak to grill and discard excess marinade. Cook steak for 6-8 minutes on each side until desired doneness (I recommend leaving just a hint of pink in the center for super juicy, tender meat with lots of flavor!)
• Transfer steak to a cutting board and allow meat to rest for a few minutes before slicing very thinly across the grain.
• Assemble gyros with lettuce, sliced onions and cucumbers, and steak. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce, top with black pepper and fresh squeezed lemon and serve immediately.

TZATZIKI SAUCE (CUCUMBER SAUCE FOR GYROS)

Steps:

• Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Add the yogurt and let drain for one hour. In a bowl, combine the drained yogurt, garlic, and half the salt. Sprinkle the remaining salt on the grated cucumbers and let drain in a strainer for 15 minutes. Combine the drained cucumbers with the yogurt. Sprinkle with black pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Mix well and serve on gyros or use as a dip.

GYRO SALAD WITH TZATZIKI DRESSING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle cucumber with salt; mix well. Let stand 5 minutes. Drain. Stir in remaining dressing ingredients. Cover and refrigerate., In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook lamb, onion and Greek seasoning until meat is no longer pink; drain., Arrange salad mix on a large serving platter; top with tomatoes, cheese, olives and lamb. Spoon dressing over salad. Serve immediately with toasted pita wedges.

TZATZIKI (GYRO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Toss cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a colander and drain 15 minutes.
• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then whisk together with olive oil, yogurt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Squeeze out any excess water from cucumbers with your hands, then stir cucumbers into yogurt mixture. Season with salt.
• Cover and chill 1 hour.

CUCUMBER GYRO SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the sour cream, cucumber, garlic, dill, mustard, and garlic powder in a bowl; stir to combine. Chill in refrigerator at least one hour before serving.

GYRO MEAT WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.
• Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.
• To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.
• To cook on a rotisserie, proceed as follows:
• Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.
• Preheat the grill to high.
• Place the meat onto the rotisserie skewer. Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
• Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
• Yield: 1 1/2 cups

TZATZIKI SAUCE-- GREEK CUCUMBER/YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers and dice. Put them in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt (draws water out). Cover with a plate and sit something heavy on top. Let sit for 30 minute Drain well and wipe dry with a paper towel.
• In food processor or blender, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill and/or mint, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir into yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend.
• This will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.
• ** If you can't find the thicker Greek Yogurt Cheese, you can use regular, plain yogurt that is either full fat or low fat. To thicken, spoon yogurt into cheese cloth that has been quadrupled. Draw the corners of the cloth up and tie together. Suspend above a bowl for 2 hours so that water can drip out. The consistency of the yogurt should be like that of sour cream.
• You can skip this draining process, if you want, but you will have a moderately messier, runnier result.