Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

• Cucumber

  Peeled, raw

  1 medium or 201g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Nonfat greek yogurt

  Nonfat, plain

  8 oz or 227g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 tsp or 6g

• Lemon juice

  Raw

  4 tsp or 20g

• Dill

  Fresh

  1 tsp or 0.2g

• Ground lamb

  Raw

  16 oz or 452g

• Salt

  Table

  2 tsp or 12g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Oregano

  Spices, dried

  1 tsp, ground or 2g

• Onions

  Yellow, sauteed

  1 cup chopped or 87g

• Garlic

  Raw

  1 cloves, minced or 3g

• Pita bread

  White, enriched

  4 pita, small or 112g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, raw, year round average

  1 medium whole or 123g

Directions

1. Place the cucumber in a colander in the sink and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Let sit and drain for 30 minutes. Dry thoroughly with paper towels, then chop very finely.
2. Combine the finely chopped cucumber with the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and dill. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. The sauce can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
3. Make the Gyro Meat: In a medium bowl, combine the ground lamb, salt, pepper, and oregano leaves with your hands, mixing until all of the seasonings have been evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the lamb mixture in the bowl of a food processor and add the onion, and garlic. Process until a smooth purée is formed, 30 seconds to 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. With moistened hands, shape the lamb mixture into a rectangle about 8 inches long and 5 inches wide. Bake until the center of the loaf reaches 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
7. djust the oven rack to the highest position (1½ to 2 inches below broiler element) and preheat broiler. Slice the loaf of lamb meat crosswise into very thin pieces (they should be about ⅛-inch thick; no more than ¼-inch thick). Lay the strips on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil until edges are browned and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes. (I did this in two batches, as I couldn't fit all of the sliced meat on one baking sheet.) Be sure to keep an eye on it, as the broiler works quickly!
8. Serve the Gyros: Warm up the pita bread either in the microwave (30 seconds), on the stovetop, or in the oven. Top each with ¼ cup of tzatziki sauce, chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, and gyro meat. Wrap with foil and serve.
9. Recipe inspired by:https://www.browneyedbaker.com/greek-gyro-recipe/