My Big Fat Greek Sandwich - Recap

Alton opens by demonstrating a gyroscope – a device that exploits conservation of angular momentum. Its name comes from the Greek root ‘gyro’ which means ‘to turn.’ From some helpful Greeks Alton learns the word has also lent itself (with different pronunciation) to a delicious sandwich of rotisserie cooked lamb, tomato, onion, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce all wrapped in a pita. A sandwich most people think can’t be prepared at home. Alton sets out to disprove this theory. All it requires is a bit of know how, a piece or two of semi-specialized equipment, and a taste for…Good Eats.

The first challenge is the meat. It’s lamb, but what kind of lamb? Alton quickly concludes that gyro meat is a very tightly grained meatloaf. He recommends starting with ground lamb. If the store hasn’t got that then lamb stew meat or lamb shoulder steaks are the best cuts to grind.

Alton chops a medium onion and puts it in the food processor until it is very finely diced but not a puree. The finely diced onion contains too much juice so the next step is to extract it. To do this Alton pours the diced onion into a dishtowel and squeezes out the juice. Then he puts the onion back into the food processor and purees it with garlic, herbs, salt, and the lamb.

The goal is a tight and slightly dry loaf so Alton adds no fillers. Because the loaf is so finely chopped it needs no binders either. Binders would add unwanted moisture. When he has pureed his mixture, Alton wraps it tightly in plastic (to force out any bubbles) and slides it into the chill chest to firm it up.

While the meat chills Alton discusses the history of roasting. Roasting involves slowly cooking over a fire on a pointed stick called a spit (the word “spit” comes from a German term that means “pointed stick”). This form of cooking dominated from around 20,000 years ago (on a Tuesday, or so Alton tells us) through the Middle Ages (when servants, dogs, and even complex contraptions kept the spit turning). The development of the modern enclosed oven made spit cooking unnecessary, but there remain a few things best cooked this way, and gyro meat is one.

The best choice for spit cooking is a grill with a rotisserie. Alton offers tips on what to look for in a rotisserie: a strong motor, thick spindle, forks with many tines and a carry handle. For those whose grills lack this device, kits are available to add it. Alton selects a model with forks that have long tines. With these he can assemble a kind of cage around the meat loaf. The loaf itself is impaled on the spindle, and the tines hold it in place loosely. The next important step is how the cooking heat is produced, and Alton explains how to set the heat levels for several kinds of grills, gas and electric. Proper heat is important to proper cooking. Alton uses a three stage roast that has two heat levels and a resting period.

For those without a grill, Alton dismisses the famous countertop rotisserie units, claiming from experience that they’re too small and too hard to clean. Instead, he thinks like MacGyver: He mounts a rotisserie on a board to hold it upright. A pan with a hole, a section of stove piping, some electric grill lighters and a couple of large spring clamps complete the gizmo. The result is an improvisation inspired by the upright spits seen in Greek restaurants. If this is still too much trouble you can pan up the loaf and roast it in the oven. You won’t get precisely the same flavor but you will get a good roasted loaf.

A proper gyro requires a good tzatziki sauce. Alton prepares this mixture of thick Greek yogurt, cucumbers, and garlic while the meat cooks. If you can’t get Greek yogurt you can approximate it by “draining” thinner American style yogurt in the refrigerator using a kitchen towel. Just put the yogurt in the towel and suspend it over a bowl. Discard the whey that drains out and use the thickened yogurt.

Although the gyro in its modern form may only date back to the 1970s, tzatziki sauce has been around far longer. Alton mixes his yogurt, finely chopped cucumber and garlic. To this he adds a little salt, pepper, wine, oil and vinegar.

With roasted meat, tzatziki sauce plus a little chopped onion, tomato and feta cheese, Alton’s ready for a Greek party featuring homemade gyros. You can make a gyro at home, and it will be... Good Eats!

Share this article with your friends