Best Greek Grilled Leg Of Lamb Gyros Recipes

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB (GYROS)

Steps:

• Finely chop up 1/2 of the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Mash the garlic and salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the oregano and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-oregano paste in a small bowl, add the lemon juice and 1 cup of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Slice the remaining garlic into thin slivers.
• Put the lamb on a large platter, and trim any excess fat. Cut the lamb in 1/2 lengthwise so you have 2 large pieces. Make slits all over the meat with a sharp knife, and push the garlic slivers inside. Rub 1/2 of the garlic-oregano paste all over the lamb and season the meat with salt and pepper. Roll up each piece of lamb lengthwise and tie with butcher's twine to hold the roasts together. Put the lamb on a large platter and slather with the remaining garlic-oregano paste. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Wipe off the excess paste from the lamb so it won't burn in the oven. Place a large roasting pan over 2 burners on medium-high flame and coat with a fair amount of olive oil. Put the lamb roasts in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on all sides. Transfer the pan (and lamb) to the oven and roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours; it should be pink in the center and the internal temperature reads 130 degrees F. Allow the lamb to stand 10 minutes to let the juices settle before and slicing.
• Cut off the butcher's twine and thinly slice the lamb. Place the meat in the center of the pita breads. Top with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and tzatziki.
• Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to marry.

EASY LAMB GYROS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Spray a large loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Combine lamb, Greek seasoning, and egg in a bowl. Mix until ingredients are very well combined (overmixing is preferable here.) Firmly press mixture into the prepared loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets under the meat. Cover with foil.
• Cook in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 2 hours.
• Remove from the oven and let rest, covered, until all the grease on top is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove meat from the pan and cut into thin slices.
• Load meat into the center of warmed pitas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and tzatziki sauce. Serve immediately.

BARBECUED GREEK LAMB WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Mash the garlic to a paste with a pestle and mortar. Mix with the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and bay, and season with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Place the lamb in a large porcelain dish. Pour the marinade over the lamb and massage into the meat. Leave the lamb for at least 1 hr at room temperature, or longer in the fridge, but no longer than overnight or the meat will become too soft.
• To cook the lamb, fire up the barbecue, or heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To cook on the barbecue, wait for the coals to turn ashen, then lay the lamb on the grill and cook for 15 mins on each side for meat that is pink, or 20 mins on each side for well done. To cook in the oven, place the lamb in a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins for pink or 40 mins for well done, turning the lamb halfway through. Leave the meat to rest for 10 mins before carving.
• Meanwhile, make the tzatziki. Coarsely grate the cucumber, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and squeeze out all the liquid. Tip into a bowl with the yogurt, garlic and mint, and mix well. Carve the lamb into thick slices and serve with the tzatziki wrapped up in warm flatbreads.

GREEK LAMB ROTISSERIE/GRILL METHODS

Steps:

• Cut excess fat from leg of lamb.
• Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl or baking dish large enough to accommodate the lamb and mix well. Message marinade into lamb making sure it is in everywhere. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning often.
• Remove from refrigerator to allow it to reach room temperature about 30 minutes.
• Preheat grill.
• Re-roll leg into a roast very tightly and tie.
• Place lamb on middle of the rotisserie skewer making sure it is balanced and secure.
• Reduce temperature to low. Cook for 2 hours brushing with remaining marinade every 1/2 hour.
• When the middle of the meat reaches a temperature of about 145 degrees remove from grill.
• Let a leg of lamb rest for 20 minutes before you start carving it up. This will even out the temperature, make sure it's completely done and allow the juices to flow back into the meat.
• Carve the meat, starting from the thick end and work our way down to the shank.
• Alternate cooking Method:.
• Start by grilling the leg over a medium high direct heat to sear the surface. This will give the meat a crusty surface and add texture. Turn every 5 minutes to sear the surface evenly. On the rotisserie you won't have to worry about this. Grill over this direct heat for about 15 minutes then move to indirect grilling and cut the temperature down to a medium heat. Watch for flare-ups during the direct grilling phase. The leg of lamb will need about 20 minutes per pound to cook so plan accordingly.