Greek Pork Gyros
Authentic Greek Pork Gyros
For the Pork:
2 lbs pork shoulder/butte cutlets or chops, bone removed
1/2 lb pork belly thinly sliced or ½ pound thick cut bacon
For the Brine
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
2 fresh herb sprigs such as sage or rosemary sprigs
3 whole cloves
3 garlic cloves crushed
For the Marinade:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sumac
2 teaspoons dry oregano
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh herbs roughly chopped, such as fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage
-To bring the pork. place the sugar and salt, in a small sauce pan with a 1/2 cup of water. Simmer on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until sugar and salt have dissolved.
-Place the sugar-salt mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, garlic, and herbs. Stir well. Pour into a large plastic ziplock bag and add the pork and bacon. Add a bit more water if necessary to make sure the pork is immersed in the liquid. Chill several hours or overnight.
-To marinate the pork, remove the meat from the brine and dry the pieces well with a paper towel.
-In a medium bowl, mix the marinade ingredients and pour into another ziplock plastic bag. Add the pork shake it around well then let sit for at least 3 hours.
-To cook the meat:
-Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
-On long sturdy skewers, using 1/3 of the marinated meats, skewer layers of meat, alternating pork shoulder with bacon strips. Pack closely together and slide a lemon half on each end, pushing the meat together firmly. Roll, wrapping skewered meat tightly in 2 layers of parchment paper. Secure roll with cooking twine. Place in baking dish and cover with lid or foil. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
-Place the parchment rolls on a rimmed baking sheet to finish cooking. Tear the paper open, exposing the meat, increase oven teperature to 350 degrees and bake another 30 - 45 minutes turning every 15 minutes to become crispy with a nice color.
-Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes. Thinly slice meat off of skewers
Tzatziki Sauce:
1 English cucumber
2 cloves of garlic, mashed and finely chopped
1/4 of a cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups plain yogurt
1–2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
To Assemble Gyro Sandwiches:
4 - 6 Greek flat bread rounds (pita)
1 red onion, slivered
1 tomato, slivered or chunked
smoked paprika
fresh lemon wedges
chopped lettuce
-To prepare the tzatziki sauce for the pork gyros, pour the olive oil and garlic into a food processor and blend until the garlic is finely chopped (don’t leave any large pieces of garlic). Into a large bowl, grate the cucumber, season with salt and pepper and set it aside for 10 minutes. Wrap the grated cucumber in a paper towel and squeeze, in order to get rid of most of the water. Into a bowl, add the cucumber, the blended garlic and oil, the yogurt, 1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and mix. (This recipe is for 5-6 servings. Store in the fridge and always serve cold.)
-Use a cooking brush to oil the pita breads on both sides and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Place a large baking pan (upside down) at the bottom of the oven, place the pita breads on top, and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 1 minute.
-Pork gyros is usually served wrapped, like a sandwich. To serve, spread some tzatziki sauce on the pita breads and top with the pork gyros, some slices of red onion, some sliced tomato and wrap. Sprinkle with paprika and a squirt of lemon if desired.
-For an easier version, you can substitute the tzatziki sauce with some fresh yogurt or some mustard and mayonnaise sauce.
-Makes 4 - 6 Gyro Sandwiches
Slice tender meat off skewers and assemble sandwich with Greek pita, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and onions.
Roll meat and veggies in Greek pita bread for an authentic, incredibly delicious Gyros sandwich!
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**You can use a leaner cut of meat, if preferred, however the taste will not be as rich. Pork tenderloin is a good choice and if used, does not need to be brined. Cut the tenderloin into thin 2 inch strips and then continue the recipe above with the marinade and decrease the initial baking time by half to 45 minutes. For the best flavor, use the pork shoulder/butt.
**Middle Eastern pita bread is not the same as the thicker Greek Pita, which is often called by the same name. The Greek Pita (the word pita actually means “pie”) does not naturally create a pocket and is not meant to be stuffed like Arab pita (or “khoubiz”). It is actually more of a flat bread and that is why for this recipe you pile the ingredients on top and then wrap it up. Look for the word “Greek” when shopping for this pita which is available in most U.S. grocery stores.
**If you enjoy cucumber, it is often included in the vegatables for this sandwich, even though it is also included in the tzatziki sauce. The variety of cucumber used in Mediterranean cuisine is similar to an English or Kirby cucumbers with the more delicate and flavorful skins, so no need to peel. The beautiful green of the peel helps enchance the appeal of Mediterranean salads, souvlaki and gyros.
**Oregano is a “must” in Greek and other Mediterranean cooking and the best is fresh! I keep a small bit of it growing in my herb garden for just such a purpose. And thank heaven for the small containers of fresh herbs now so readily available in our grocery stores. Next best choice is dried and chopped oregano, after which we may have to resort to powdered oregano. In a pinch, we do the best we can!
