{"id":57272,"date":"2016-06-15T16:12:44","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T21:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=57272"},"modified":"2021-06-04T14:56:38","modified_gmt":"2021-06-04T19:56:38","slug":"how-to-make-an-authentic-greek-gyro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/leisure\/food-drink\/how-to-make-an-authentic-greek-gyro\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make an Authentic Greek Gyro"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

“If you had to choose one type of cuisine (Mexican, Italian, Japanese, etc.) to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?”<\/em><\/p>\n

Supposing you and I ever take a road trip together, that\u2019s just one of the many exploratory, or as my wife calls it, annoying, questions I\u2019ll likely pose.<\/p>\n

For me, it\u2019s quite simple: I’d go Greek.<\/p>\n

I’d get to have my fill of pasta, pizza, seafood, feta cheese, olives, pork, beef, lamb, chicken, and basically every other temptation on the planet. But most importantly, I’d get a lifetime of eating one of my guiltiest pleasures — gyros.<\/p>\n

\"Gyro<\/p>\n

I\u2019m quite certain most Americans are hip to this Greek treat, with much debt owed to Chicago-based Kronos for marketing the “Greek taco” of sorts through beautiful models<\/a>. I\u2019ve always loved a good gyro, whether in a mall food court, from a street vendor, or at a fancy restaurant — it\u2019s one of those dishes that just speaks to me.<\/p>\n

So, when I surprised my wife with a trip to Greece last month, it wasn\u2019t the history, beaches, blue skies, or famous sunsets that served as my main motivation. Nope, I needed to get my fix of gyros — and by that I mean driving a 4-wheeler throughout the Greek isles consuming a gyro nearly every two hours.<\/p>\n

I got so used to eating the darn things that I needed to figure out a way to make them on my own at home. After doing a bit of research, I found that a famous chef<\/a> and a well-respected website<\/a> had already covered the topic in great detail.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the deal: That lamb, beef, or combination thereof that we all know as gyro in the States is rarely found, if ever, in Greece. Though I was disappointed at first not to find said meats on a rotisserie, my eyes were soon fixated on the \u201cauthentic\u201d gyro meat — which is the meat of the gods: pork.<\/p>\n

After my fifth pork gyro, I\u2019ll never go back. The pork is well-seasoned, tender, and moist, and has a perfect char. Here piggy, piggy<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Another unique addition that the Greeks add to the gyro is fried potatoes stuffed right in the sandwich. It\u2019s obviously a heartier sandwich with said addition, so I loved it and thought it was worth mentioning here.<\/p>\n

Since most of us do not have a rotisserie to slowly roast and carve a large chunk of meat, I had to come up with my own technique to yield a similar result for the home cook. After much trial and error I settled on a kebab method to grill the meat. This allowed me to get plenty of char on the outside, while still leaving the inside moist and tender. It\u2019s also accessible — all you need is a grill (or even an oven set to broil) and some skewers.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, multiple cuts of pork are skewered together and slow-cooked, and finally charred on the rotisserie. In order to get that same texture and feel, I went back and forth to find the right cut of pork to put on a skewer, finally settling on pork tenderloin. Though it\u2019s the most expensive of all pork cuts, it really takes well to the marinade and results in a tender, flavorful meat.<\/p>\n

Sliced and stuffed into a warmed pita and topped with homemade tzatziki and other accoutrements, I promise you will soon feel painfully full in the best way possible.<\/p>\n

Pork + Marinade<\/h3>\n

\"Grilling<\/p>\n

Serves 4<\/em><\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n