Grilled Lamb Gyros

A quick note - gyros are traditionally made by mixing ground lamb and spices and forming it into a firm meatloaf, cooking the meat on a rotisserie, slicing it, and then serving in pitas.  For this recipe, I’ve formed the ground lamb into kofta shapes, grilled them without skewers, and then stuffed them into pitas gyro-style.  

Give them a try!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1 lb. ground lamb
½ onion, chopped
½ cup loosely packed parsley
3 cloves garlic
½ cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon marjoram (optional – don’t go running to the store if you don’t have it on hand)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (this amount gave just enough of a kick for me and was perfectly balanced by the cooling tzatziki sauce.  Adjust according to your taste, but even if you don’t like things spicy, I’d recommend using at least a half teaspoon)
1 egg
Fresh chopped lettuce
Tzatziki sauce (recipe below)
6 pitas or flatbreads

Directions:

1.    In a food processor, puree onion, garlic and parsley.
2.    In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to mix together pureed mixture, ground lamb, potato crumbs, salt, pepper, marjoram, rosemary, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and egg. 
3.    Form into elongated patties and spray both sides with cooking spray (this is critical. You don’t want the lamb to stick to the grill and fall apart).
4.    Grill over high heat for 10-12 minutes, turning once.

5.    Spray both sides of pitas lightly with cooking spray (or brush with olive oil) and grill quickly, about 30 seconds on each side.
6.    Serve lamb over pitas with chopped lettuce and tzatziki sauce.  Enjoy!

Tzatziki sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, chopped very finely
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1.    Combine all ingredients in medium-sized bowl, stir well.
2.    Cover, place in refrigerator and let sit for about two hours before serving.

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Leg of Lamb - Yeah, You Better Grill That

Looking for leg of lamb that’s crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with delicious flavor? Try this recipe for grilled leg of lamb!  By starting on high heat and then moving to a lower heat, it gets nice and crispy on the outside, then cooks low and slow so it's nice and tender in the middle.  Tastes great with these recipes for garlic and rosemary grilled potatoes and grilled green beans!

Ingredients (allow at least 4 ounces of lamb per person):

1 butterflied, semi-boneless leg of lamb (you can buy it butterflied from the store or butcher, or butterfly it yourself)
8-10 ounces of plain Greek yogurt (2 single-serve packages)
4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt
Pepper
1 ½ tablespoons dried rosemary

Directions:

1.    The night before you plan to grill your lamb, prepare the marinade: Mix yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, one tablespoon rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cover lamb with marinade.  Let sit at least overnight, up to three days. The longer the better!
2.    Prepare the grill by “banking” your charcoal, or stacking the coals so that you have twice as many coals on one side than the other.  This creates a high heat side and a medium heat side.
3.    Remove the lamb and discard remaining marinade.  Pat with paper towels to remove excess.
4.    Place lamb, fat-side down, over high heat.  Cook for five minutes.  Watch for flare-ups!  Be ready to put them out with a water spray bottle.
5.    Turn lamb over, cook on high heat another five minutes.
6.    Move lamb over to medium-low heat.  Cook for a total of 20 minutes per pound (counting the first ten minutes on high heat), turning once more.  
7.    Remove from grill and place on plate to catch the juices.  Tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!