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kosta_karapinotis

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For this recipe, you will need: 1 onion, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 pounds ground meat (lamb, pork, beef or a mixture), 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper. Gather these ingredients and have a great gyro night at home with your family and friends!

Processes onion in a food processor, add the garlic and pulse for ten seconds. Add the meat, oregano, salt, and pepper and pulse until all the ingredients are combined. Form the mixture into a the shape of a loaf. I like to make min in the oven, but if you have a rotisserie machine then by all means go ahead and make it there! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the gyro mixture and place in the center of the oven. Bake until cooked all the way through. This should take 40-45 minutes depending on the oven.

Add your favorite toppings and place the meat on a pita with tzatziki and you have a great tasting gyro!

Homemade-Gyro-Meat-720x478.jpg
 
For this recipe, you will need: 1 onion, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 pounds ground meat (lamb, pork, beef or a mixture), 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper. Gather these ingredients and have a great gyro night at home with your family and friends!

Processes onion in a food processor, add the garlic and pulse for ten seconds. Add the meat, oregano, salt, and pepper and pulse until all the ingredients are combined. Form the mixture into a the shape of a loaf. I like to make min in the oven, but if you have a rotisserie machine then by all means go ahead and make it there! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the gyro mixture and place in the center of the oven. Bake until cooked all the way through. This should take 40-45 minutes depending on the oven.

Add your favorite toppings and place the meat on a pita with tzatziki and you have a great tasting gyro!

View attachment 764
Kosta, that sounds really good & I am going to try it. I am a little confused though, as I have always eaten gyros (pork or chicken), which are usually thin slivers of the meat, not mince. Will this cut like gyros meat?
 
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Kosta, that sounds really good & I am going to try it. I am a little confused though, as I have always eaten gyros (pork or chicken), which are usually thin slivers of the meat, not mince. Will this cut like gyros meat?
It sounds like it will be more like the gyro meat that you get in the fast food places. I've made gyro at home like this and the texture is not the exact same but the flavour is there!
 
For this recipe, you will need: 1 onion, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 pounds ground meat (lamb, pork, beef or a mixture), 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper. Gather these ingredients and have a great gyro night at home with your family and friends!

Processes onion in a food processor, add the garlic and pulse for ten seconds. Add the meat, oregano, salt, and pepper and pulse until all the ingredients are combined. Form the mixture into a the shape of a loaf. I like to make min in the oven, but if you have a rotisserie machine then by all means go ahead and make it there! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the gyro mixture and place in the center of the oven. Bake until cooked all the way through. This should take 40-45 minutes depending on the oven.

Add your favorite toppings and place the meat on a pita with tzatziki and you have a great tasting gyro!

View attachment 764
 
I do mine in the slow cooker. works great!
 
This looks great! When doing gyros like this, the texture isn't quite the same as the store bought stuff, but the flavor is there. Also, I like to do it at home so I can control the amount of salt and the sources of meat that go in.
 

Is lamb or beef more traditional for giouvetsi?

I've been looking into traditional Greek giouvetsi recipes lately, and I'm curious about which meat is considered the most traditional. I've seen recipes that use lamb, others that call for beef, and even some that use chicken.

I love the idea of slowly cooking the meat in a rich tomato sauce with orzo until everything becomes tender and flavorful. However, I'm wondering whether lamb or beef would be the more authentic choice.

Is one traditionally preferred in certain regions of Greece? I've read that lamb is often associated with older Greek recipes, but beef seems to be very common in modern versions of giouvetsi.

I'm also curious whether the choice of meat changes the way the dish is prepared. Does lamb require different seasonings or cooking times than beef?

For those familiar with traditional Greek cooking, which version do you prefer, and which would you recommend trying first?

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.

How does your family season dolmades?

I’ve been thinking about how much dolmades can vary from one family to another, especially when it comes to seasoning. Even when the basic ingredients are similar, the flavor can be completely different depending on which herbs and spices are used.

How does your family season dolmades? Do you use mostly dill and parsley, or do you add mint as well? I’ve also seen recipes that include green onions, oregano, or even a little cinnamon, especially when meat is part of the filling.

I’m curious whether you season the rice mixture pretty heavily before rolling the grape leaves or keep it simple and let the lemon and olive oil provide most of the flavor. Does your family add lemon juice directly to the filling, or only during cooking and serving?

I’d especially love to hear about any regional or family traditions. What gives your dolmades their distinctive flavor?

Do you put potatoes in your briam?

I've noticed that there are quite a few variations of briam, especially when it comes to which vegetables people include. One ingredient I'm particularly curious about is potatoes. Do you always put potatoes in your briam, or do you prefer making it without them?

I usually think of briam as a combination of zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of olive oil. I love how the potatoes absorb all those wonderful flavors as everything slowly roasts together in the oven.

However, I've seen recipes that leave the potatoes out entirely and focus more on the summer vegetables. I imagine that makes the dish a little lighter.

I'm also curious whether there are regional differences in how briam is prepared throughout Greece. Does your family have a particular way of making it? And what vegetables do you consider absolutely essential?

Do You Put Cinnamon in Your Keftedes?

I’m curious how everyone here makes keftedes, especially when it comes to cinnamon. I know some Greek families add a little cinnamon to the meat mixture, while others would never think of putting it in.

In my experience, even a small amount can change the flavor quite a bit. It gives the keftedes a warmer, slightly sweeter spice in the background, but I can also see how it might not be for everyone. I’ve had versions that lean more heavily on oregano, mint, parsley, garlic, and onion instead.

Do you put cinnamon in your keftedes? If you do, how much do you usually use, and was that something your family always did? I’d also be curious to know if it varies depending on what part of Greece your family comes from.

Would love to hear how everyone seasons theirs and what you consider essential for really good keftedes.
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