Vacation for Dinner?

I think by now you people know I love me some food. Today I am going to discuss the goodness that is Greek food. The first time I ever had Greek food was in 2005 when I was on business travel in Biloxi, Mississippi. I went to lunch with some classmates and order this thing called a Gryo. I totally pronounced it wrong and the table laughed at me but it was so worth the fantastic flavor explosion that I enjoyed. My dear husband is not the most adventurous person when it comes to food so the 2nd time I ate a gryo was probably a few months ago and it was from the cafeteria at work. Let the Greek food addiction begin! In the past few months I have eaten a gryo as frequently as I can get my hands on one. Last week I decided to take the next step and make gryo at home. Man-o-man it was yummy. The recipe is from Alton Brown on food network and it rocks. I decided to go all out and make the Tzatziki Sauce as well and although it was good, its not worth the effort so next time I will harness my Sandra Lee and just buy it pre-made. Just so you know, lamb was not at all expensive. I found it at central market for $6/lb (same price as lean beef). I slightly modified the recipe to match how I made it. I really loved this meal and I highly suggest you try it.

Gyro Meat with Tzatziki Sauce
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Serves:
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
2 pounds ground lamb
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.
To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.

Tzatziki Sauce:
16 ounces plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced
Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
In a blender, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Overnight the sauce really comes together so if you are going to make it at home think about doing it the day before.

Βρῶμα θεῶν