Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Pulse the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds until finely chopped, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl once.

Step 2

Put the onions in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Step 3

Add onions back to the food processor along with the meat, garlic, spices and salt. Pulse a few times until the mixture starts to come together, then allow to run for one minute so the meat is very sticky.

Step 4

Press the meat mixture into a loaf pan, using a rubber spatula to smooth it out. Press it down as evenly as possible.

Step 5

Fill a baking dish with 1 inch of water. Ensure the baking dish is bigger than the loaf pan, and that the sides are tall enough so the water doesn't overflow. Place the loaf pan in the water bath, put it in the oven, and cook for about an hour and 10 minutes, or until the gyro meat reaches 165°. An instant-read meat thermometer helps with this. Remove from the oven and place the loaf pan on a cooling rack.

Step 6

To achieve a texture similar to gyro meat cooked on a spit, you'll want to press it. Weigh down the meat evenly—you can use another loaf pan with something heavy in it or a brick wrapped in aluminum foil. Let the weight sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the weight and pour off any fat.

Step 7

Slice and sear the meat. It's much easier to slice thinly when it's been in the fridge overnight, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. However, the fridge time can be skipped! When you're ready to prepare the gyros, use a long, sharp knife to slice the meat thinly. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of olive oil. Sear the slices of meat on both sides until they're golden.

Step 8

To make it pliable, heat your pita bread in the oven or on a stovetop griddle. Build each gyro in a warm pita with tzatziki, seared meat, sliced onion and tomatoes, fresh lettuce and crumbled feta.