Gyro Cucumber Sauce Recipes

TZATZIKI SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Use a box grater to manually grate the cucumbers or you can use a small food processor to finely chop the cucumbers as I do in this recipe. Toss the grated cucumbers with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheese cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. (There will be a lot of liquid).
• In one large mixing bowl, place the garlic with remaining 1/2 tsp salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
• Add the grated cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper, and the fresh herbs (if using. I did not use fresh herbs in the video). Stir to combine well.
• Cover and refrigerate for a bit (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours before serving). This will help thicken the sauce and give it the best texture, while allowing the flavors to meld.
• When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Serve with your favorite veggies, pita chips or wedges (be sure to read the post for more ideas on how to use this sauce)!

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.

EASY GREEK YOGURT CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir together the yogurt, sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, cucumber, green onion, garlic, feta cheese, oregano, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl; cover and chill 8 hours or overnight 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

CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth. Place yogurt in strainer over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight., Drain and discard liquid in bowl; set yogurt aside. Place cucumber in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 15 minutes; discard liquid. , In a small bowl, whisk oil and vinegar until blended. Stir in the garlic, yogurt and cucumber.

CUCUMBER SAUCE FOR GYROS

Steps:

• Put the cucumber into a colander and sprinkle with a little salt.
• Let rest for 10-15 minutes to allow extra juices to escape the cucumber.
• Gently squeeze the cucumber in a paper or cloth towel.
• Put everything a bowl and mix well (I don't rinse the cucumber).
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate for a couple of hours prior to using (if you have time).
• A turn or two in the food processor would yield a nice smooth sauce.
• Good on anything, especially Gyros.