5 things you didn’t know about Gyros (and why you need to make them at home)

We’re celebrating a Greek classic this week as part of our limited edition Street Food recipes: The gyro.

For meat lovers, a taste of heaven comes from using succulent and tender meat that is cooked on a rotisserie called gyros cones. The meat is then topped with fresh tomato, onion and drizzled in sauce, and enclosed in warm pitta bread. 

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Chances are you’ve probably tried a gyro (if you haven’t, you must keep reading), but how much do you know about this delicious staple of the Greek cuisine? There’s more than meats the eye to this dish. Here are 5 things you didn’t know that will help you cook our recipe perfectly at home. 

1. The recipe is really, really old

Spit-roasted meat has been enjoyed by Greeks for hundreds of years. Famous Ancient Greek writers such as Homer, who was alive somewhere between 12th and 8th centuries BC, refer to the spit-roasted meats in their work. We figure, if it has lastest this long, it’s sure to be good. 

2. The secret to the perfect meat is in the marinade 

The longer you can marinate the more tender and flavorful the meat will be. Combine oil, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and lemon juice and stir to combine. Add your meat to a zip lock bag with the marinade and press as much as the air out as you can, and seal. You can chill the meat for up to 24 hours for some serious flavour.

3. Don’t forget the sauce

No gyro is complete without the sauce poured on the meat. There are three choices available, with tzatziki being the traditional sauce (and what we’ve opted for in our recipe). There is also a sauce made of mustard and mayonnaise and a tomato-based spicy sauce. 

4. Get creative with extras

Pile your gyro high with lots of delicious extras. Aside from the meat, gyros can come with extras thrown in with the juicy meat. This can be red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce or even chips.

5. It’s pronounced “yee-roh”

Ok, admittedly this one won’t improve your cooking skills. It will make you look like you know your stuff when you serve the recipe at home, however. The Gyro is one of the most mispronounced of any food item, being pronounced “jee-ros” or “gai-ros” when there is no true letter G, in the English sense, in the Greek language. 

If you’re feeling hungry, our Pork Kofta Gyros are on the menu this week for one week only – so don’t miss out! We’ve saved you time and topped our gyros with spiced lamb koftas. Quick, delicious and fun to build, the gyro is a great recipe to enjoy at home.

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