Gyros (pronounced “Yiros”) – from the Greek word “γύρος” (spinning top, round) – originally refers to the movement of a rotating skewer. The idea of cooking meat on a rotisserie is common in many cultures, such as döner kebab in Turkey, shawarma in the Middle East (for which you find a recipe here), and tacos al pastor in Mexico.
The Greek version emerged in its current form in the second half of the 20th century and became an integral part of Greek takeaway culture – especially in the USA and Germany.
The meat – traditionally pork, but nowadays also chicken and, less commonly, lamb – is cut into thin slices, marinated and placed in layers on a skewer. When grilled, the outer layers are seared and then freshly cut off.
Pita bread is much more than just a carrier for gyros. It is a light and soft flatbread made from yeast dough, which has been baked in various forms in Greece and the Middle East for centuries.
The neck of pork is usually used because it is well marbled and cooked for longer. However, you don’t have a rotisserie at home, so lean meat is more suitable – if prepared correctly. We use pork fillet.
There is white tendon tissue on the fillet, which must first be removed with a sharp knife (this processing of meat is called trimming). The best way to do this is to cut under the tendon once, then lift it with one hand and run the knife along its underside with the other hand to separate it from the meat.
The fillet is then cut into slices approximately 1.5 cm thick, which are halved lengthwise.
Now the meat is marinated, which should take at least 4 hours, 6 would be better, and you can also prepare it the evening for the following day. Season with dried oregano, rosemary and thyme, cumin, paprika, a little chilli or cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper.
Olive oil and light vinegar (which also gives shawarma its typical flavour) are essential, as is a little sweetener for balance (honey, sugar or your sweetener of choice).
Halve onion and cut into thick strips then roughly chop garlic. Next, mix the strips of fillet thoroughly with the other ingredients and place in the refrigerator.
Greek pita bread is a thicker type of flatbread. It rises and becomes light and airy, but does not form large air pockets like lavash (recipe here), for example.
First, heat milk and water in a ratio of 2:1; both should be lukewarm. Stir in some sugar and yeast (we use dry yeast) until dissolved. Leave to stand for a few minutes until foam begins to form on the surface.
Mix flour, a little salt and some olive oil in a mixing bowl. If desired, you can add fresh thyme and/or oregano leaves.
Then bring everything together by kneading patiently and thoroughly, as you would with any dough. First in the bowl and, once everything is thoroughly mixed, on a lightly floured work bench. This takes about 8 minutes by hand. It is slightly quicker with a machine.
The dough is quite moist and therefore sticky, which is how it should be. Don’t let this put you off and continue working patiently until you have formed a ball of dough. Rub a little olive oil all over it, place it in a bowl and cover with a cloth. Leave the dough to rest in a warm place for an hour. As always, the oven is ideal for this if you just leave the light on.
During this time, the dough will double in volume. Place it back on the work surface, but this time not on flour, but on a little olive oil. Then knead it thoroughly again until you can form a smooth ball. Cut this in half and then divide each half into thirds so that you have six pieces of roughly equal size. This is best done with a dough scraper, which you should get yourself. Very inexpensive and very practical.
The six pieces are then shaped into balls again. We explained how to do this here. You can continue processing the dough balls right away, but if you have time, you should cover them and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
The pita bread is cooked in a pan. Roll out a ball of dough on the work bench with a little olive oil to form a flatbread 3–4 mm thick and about 18 cm in diameter. Fry it on a medium heat with – what else – a few drops of olive oil for 1–2 minutes…
…and turn it over when it is lightly browned.
When you stack the pita breads on top of each other, they transfer heat and moisture to one another. After a longer period of time, this can cause the bottom ones in particular to become too soft and the top ones too dry.
If you don’t eat them straight away, it’s best to let them cool down individually and then reheat them in a pan or in the oven just before eating. They will keep in the fridge for several days.
Gyros is also prepared in a pan at home. Since we use pork fillet, the cooking time must be very short and the heat very high. A stainless steel pan is better suited than a coated pan. We use a cast iron pan, which can get extremely hot. Of course, not everyone has one of these at home, so just use the cookware that can reach the highest temperature – this could also be a steel wok.
Place the pan on a high heat (we use 8 out of 10) until a hint of smoke forms at the bottom. Immediately add the marinated meat and spread it out so that as much of it as possible comes into contact with the bottom of the pan. Add a few drops of olive oil (the marinade already contains oil).
Now, do not stir, but wait until the meat is well browned on the underside. Depending on the pan and heat, this takes 30–60 seconds. Then turn everything over once, which is best done with kitchen tongs.
The second side takes even less time. Then immediately remove everything from the pan so that it does not dry out.
It is traditionally served with tzatziki, for which you can find a recipe here.
French fries or oven-baked wedges also go very well with this dish.
For freshness, we add lettuce and tomatoes, which we slice and sprinkle with a little salt and sugar to intensify their flavour. Not everyone likes raw onions, but you can marinate them in lemon juice to make them much more palatable.
It can be served as a wrap or as a gyros platter with side dishes.
Enjoy.
And may the taste be with you.
Ingredients ( for 4 people):
Gyros:
2 pork fillets (approx. 500 g each)
1 red onion, cut into strips
4 garlic cloves
120 ml olive oil
120 ml light vinegar (white wine vinegar)
1 tsp honey
1 ½ tbsp each of dried oregano, rosemary and thyme
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp chili flakes or powder
Salt and pepper
Pita (makes 6 pieces):
160 ml milk, lukewarm
80 ml water, lukewarm
1 tsp sugar
7 g dry yeast (1 packet)
380 g flour (standard)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Optional: Fresh thyme and/or oregano leaves Olive oil for kneading and frying
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