Grilled Steak Gyros

My daughter, Lexie, has an obsession with the Greek culture.  Most of it stems from learning Greek mythology in school and reading the popular Perseus Jackson book series.  So, whenever she has the option, she likes to try Greek foods.  I don’t have much experience cooking Greek recipes, so I’m trying different ones.  Gyros are delicious street food style “sandwiches” that are packed with flavor and are usually topped with a cool and creamy Tzatziki sauce.  Gyros are typically made with a combination of ground beef and lamb that has been formed into a type of firm meatloaf and roasted over a spit.  Once cooked, the meat is sliced thin and placed on warmed pita breads, then topped with sliced red onion, tomatoes and Tzatziki sauce.  YUM!

I didn’t have access to ground lamb, so I decided to use a homemade marinade to season a large piece of skirt steak, then grill and slice it to get some of the same flavors.  I thought they tasted awesome!  The Tzatziki sauce was wonderful too and is great as a leftover to use as a dip for veggies or with crackers.

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Grilled Steak Gyros

Author: Jennifer Locklin

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skirt or flank steak
• ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon dried mint
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary crumbled
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 red onion sliced, for garnish
• 2 to matoes diced, for garnish
• Tzatziki sauce for garnish
• 8 slices pita bread without pockets
• Tzatziki Sauce:
• 1 English cucumber grated or finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoons fresh dill leaves chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• For the meat: In a blender or food processor, place the lemon juice, garlic, mint, oregano, rosemary, salt, onion powder, black pepper, and olive oil; cover and process until everything is well combined. Pour this marinade over the meat and rub all over; making sure marinade has coated both sides. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
• Grill beef, covered, over medium-hot heat until meat reaches desired doneness, about 10 minutes per side. Check periodically for desired doneness. Once meat is done, cover loosely with foil and allow meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain and assemble onto warmed pitas. Top with sliced onion, chopped tomatoes and Tzatziki sauce. Serve immediately.