Traditional Gyro Meat

This Greek/Lebanese-style gyro meat is delicious sliced and served with fresh pita bread, tzatziki, and tomatoes for a Mediterranean meal.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 258 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground lamb
• cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
• 0.25 teaspoon sea salt
• 0.5 onion, cut into chunks

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine onions, lamb, beef, garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until well combined. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Step 2

Pour off any accumulated fat, and allow to cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.

Step 3

Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped, about 5 (1-second) pulses. Scoop onions onto the center of a towel, gather up the towel ends, and squeeze to remove liquid.

Step 4

Working in 2 batches if necessary, place meat mixture into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and the texture feels tacky, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture into prepared loaf pan, and pack down to make sure there are no air pockets.

Step 5

Line a medium roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan in the center of the towel-lined roasting pan, and transfer it into the preheated oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until gyro meat is no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour to 1 hour 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Step 7

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Evenly coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.