Gyros are pita bread sandwiches filled with meat, lettuce, tomatoes and the yogurt sauce tzatziki. They were traditionally made with compressed meat: ground beef or lamb mixed with spices and packed onto a spit that rotates in front of a fire until the meat is cooked. Today, many gyros are made with strips of marinated beef.
Gyros are pita bread sandwiches filled with meat, lettuce, tomatoes and the yogurt sauce tzatziki. They were traditionally made with compressed meat: ground beef or lamb mixed with spices and packed onto a spit that rotates in front of a fire until the meat is cooked. Today, many gyros are made with strips of marinated beef.
Serve with a washed, ready-to-eat salad with some added olives. This meal contains 597 calories per serving with 24 percent of calories from fat.
Fred Tasker’s wine suggestion: The gyro is made of red meat and red wine, so a nice soft red like malbec would go well with it.
Helpful hints:
c To save preparation time, use fresh diced tomatoes found in the produce section of the market.
c Lemon juice is used in the marinade and tzatziki sauce. Squeeze at one time and divide accordingly.
Gyro sandwich
Ingredients:
1/2 pound skirt steak
1/2 cup red wine
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 whole wheat pita breads
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded lettuce
For tzatziki sauce:
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Remove visible fat from meat and cut into strips about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Mix the red wine, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, garlic and oregano together in a bowl or self-seal plastic bag. Add the meat and let marinate 10 minutes while preparing the other ingredients. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and saute 1 minute for rare and 3 minutes for medium. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a plate.
For the tzatziki sauce: Mix cucumber, yogurt, garlic, dill and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Warm the pita breads in an oven or toaster oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut them in half and open the pockets and place on a serving plate. Place the meat, tomatoes, lettuce and sauce in separate bowls or on a serving plate so people can help themselves. If you prefer, fill the pita breads with lettuce, meat, tomatoes and sauce and serve them on individual plates. Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 597 calories (24 percent from fat), 15.9 g fat (4.6 g saturated, 6.6 g monounsaturated), 73 mg cholesterol, 40.0 g protein, 80.1 g carbohydrates, 10.9 g fiber, 688 mg sodium
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