How to Make a Greek Gyro

Step 1

Combine the lamb with the seasonings. Put 1 pound (453 g) of ground lamb or 85% lean ground beef into a medium bowl. Add 2 teaspoons (12 g) of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of freshly ground black pepper, and 2 tablespoons (5 g) of fresh oregano leaves. Use your fingers or a wooden spoon to mix the meat with the seasonings.If you don't have fresh oregano, you can use 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) of dried oregano.You can use any combination of ground meat that you like. For example, try a combination of ground turkey and ground pork or ground lamb and ground pork.

Step 2

Chill the lamb mixture for at least 1 hour. Cover the bowl of seasoned ground meat with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the meat for at least 1 hour. If you'd like to make the meat ahead of time, you can refrigerate it overnight.

Step 3

Preheat the oven and puree the gyro meat mixture. Turn the oven on to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Take the chilled meat out of the refrigerator and transfer it to a food processor. Add 1/2 of an onion that's been cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks, 1 sliced clove of garlic, and 5 slices of slab bacon that have been cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Puree the ingredients for 1 minute.The mixture should become smooth and very thick once it's combined. You might need to stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor.

Step 4

Spread the meat mixture on a baking sheet. Lay aluminum foil across the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet. Wet your hands and then scoop the gyro meat onto the foil. Use your moist hands to spread the meat into a large rectangle.The rectangle should be 8 inches (20 cm) long and 5 inches (12 cm) inches wide.

Step 5

Bake the gyro meat for 30 minutes. Put the sheet of gyro meat into the preheated oven and bake it for about 30 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. It should be 155 degrees F (70 degrees C) once it's finished cooking.

Step 6

Cool the meat for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the meat to rest for 15 minutes before you slice it. If you'd like to make the gyro meat in advance, you can bake it, cool it, and refrigerate it for up to one week.

Step 7

Slice the gyro meat and broil it for 2 minutes. Turn your broiler on to high and move the rack to the top shelf of your oven. Slice the loaf of cooked gyro meat crosswise into thin strips and place the strips on the baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Put the pan under the broiler and broil the strips for about 2 minutes. The edges of the meat should become crisp and golden.Cover the broiled gyro meat loosely with foil while you get out the ingredients to assemble your gyro.The strips should be 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3 to 6 mm) thick and about 5 inches (12 cm) long.