Homemade Gyro Meat Loaf, Sliced Thin and Crisped

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The vertical rotisserie is the one piece of gear no home kitchen has — so this recipe borrows the other half of every gyro shop's technique instead. Lamb and beef are whipped in a food processor with grated onion, garlic and oregano until the mixture turns tacky and emulsified, then baked in a loaf pan set in a water bath. Once it's cold and firm you can shave it paper-thin and crisp the slices in a hot skillet, exactly like the crust that gets carved off a spinning cone. One loaf gives you a week of pita dinners, rice bowls and salads.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1 lb ground beef, 80/20
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tbsp dried oregano, preferably Greek
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the skillet

• 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated English cucumber
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 6 pocketless pita or flatbreads, warmed
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 8x4-inch loaf pan
• 1 9x13-inch baking pan for the water bath

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Put a kettle or saucepan of water on to boil for the water bath. Lightly oil an 8x4-inch loaf pan and set a 9x13-inch baking pan on the middle oven rack.
2. Pulse the quartered onion and garlic in a food processor 10 to 12 times, until finely minced. Scrape into the center of a clean kitchen towel, gather the ends, and squeeze hard over the sink — you want to wring out at least 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid. Wet onion makes a crumbly loaf, so squeeze until it stops dripping.
3. Return the squeezed onion and garlic to the processor with the oregano, salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, marjoram, rosemary, cinnamon and breadcrumbs. Pulse 5 times to combine.
4. Add the lamb, beef and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Run the processor for 45 to 60 seconds, stopping twice to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is smooth, pale and pasty — closer to sausage forcemeat than ground meat. This emulsification is what lets the loaf slice thin without falling apart.
5. Pack the mixture into the loaf pan in three additions, pressing down firmly with wet hands or a spatula after each to eliminate air pockets. Smooth the top and rap the pan on the counter a few times.
6. Set the loaf pan inside the baking pan in the oven and pour boiling water into the outer pan to come about 1 inch up the sides. Bake 55 to 70 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165°F.
7. Carefully lift the loaf pan out of the water bath. Drain off the rendered fat, then set a second loaf pan or a foil-wrapped brick on top of the meat and weight it with 2 or 3 cans. Let it press at room temperature for 20 minutes — this compacts the loaf so it shaves cleanly.
8. Refrigerate the weighted loaf at least 4 hours, or overnight, until completely cold and firm. It keeps 5 days wrapped in the fridge, or 3 months sliced and frozen.
9. Meanwhile, make the tzatziki if using: squeeze the grated cucumber dry in a paper towel, then stir it into the yogurt with the garlic, lemon juice, dill and salt. Chill until serving.
10. To serve, run a knife around the loaf and turn it out. Using a long sharp knife, shave slices as thin as you can manage — 1/8 inch or thinner. Cold meat slices best; if it softens, put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes.
11. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay in the slices in a single uncrowded layer and cook 60 to 90 seconds per side, until the edges are deep brown, blistered and curled. Work in batches; do not stir or crowd, or they'll steam instead of crisping.
12. Pile the crisped meat into warm pitas with tomato, red onion and a generous spoonful of tzatziki, and eat immediately while the edges are still crackling.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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