Beef and Lamb Gyro Loaf with Tzatziki

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The vertical rotisserie, reverse-engineered for a home oven. Grated onion is squeezed dry, then whipped into ground beef and lamb with oregano, marjoram and cumin until the mixture turns tacky and sausage-like — that emulsified texture is what lets the loaf slice paper-thin without crumbling. Bake it in a water bath, chill it hard overnight, then shave slices and crisp them in a hot skillet until the edges curl and brown like meat carved off a spit. Pile into warm pita with cool garlicky tzatziki, tomato and red onion.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, finely crumbled
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for crisping

• 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 medium English cucumber, grated
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 6 pocketless pita or flatbread
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
• 1 cup shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
• lemon wedges and flaky salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Grate the quartered onion on the large holes of a box grater or pulse it to a coarse paste in a food processor. Scrape it into a clean kitchen towel, gather the ends, and squeeze hard over the sink until the onion is barely damp — you should extract close to 1/3 cup of liquid. Excess water is the main reason homemade gyro loaves fall apart, so squeeze more than feels necessary.
2. Put the squeezed onion, both meats, garlic, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl. Mix with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or beat vigorously by hand with a sturdy spoon for 5 minutes. The mixture should go from crumbly to smooth, sticky and paste-like, pulling away from the bowl in a single mass. This emulsification is what makes it sliceable.
3. Heat the oven to 325°F. Pack the meat paste into a 9x5-inch loaf pan in three additions, pressing down firmly with wet hands after each to drive out air pockets. Smooth the top and rap the pan on the counter a few times. Cover tightly with foil.
4. Set the loaf pan inside a roasting pan or 9x13-inch baking dish and pour boiling water into the outer pan to come halfway up the loaf pan. Bake 55 to 70 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 165°F.
5. Lift the loaf pan out of the water bath. Pour off the rendered fat and juices into a small bowl and reserve. Lay a sheet of parchment on the meat, set a second loaf pan or a foil-wrapped brick on top, and weight it with two 15-ounce cans. Let it press at room temperature 30 minutes, then refrigerate, still weighted, at least 4 hours and ideally overnight. The loaf must be cold and dense to shave cleanly.
6. While the loaf chills, make the tzatziki: squeeze the grated cucumber dry in a towel, then stir it together with the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dill and salt. Refrigerate at least 1 hour so the garlic mellows.
7. Turn the cold loaf out onto a board and trim the ends. Using a sharp chef's knife or a serrated knife, shave slices as thin as you can manage — 1/8 inch or thinner. Aim for wide, ragged sheets rather than neat rectangles; irregular edges crisp best.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil (or 1 tablespoon of the reserved beef-lamb fat, which is better) in a large cast-iron or stainless skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay in slices in a single uncrowded layer and cook undisturbed 2 minutes, until the underside is deep brown and the edges have curled. Flip and cook 60 to 90 seconds more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining slices, adding fat as needed.
9. Warm the pitas directly in the empty skillet, 30 seconds per side, or brush lightly with the reserved fat first for a richer bread.
10. Build each gyro: a swipe of tzatziki on the warm pita, a handful of crisped meat, tomato, red onion and lettuce, then more tzatziki, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of flaky salt. Roll tightly and wrap the bottom half in parchment or foil to hold it together.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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