"GRILLED HERBED LAMB GYROS"

Yield serves 6-8 very generously

Number Of Ingredients 21

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 sprigs chopped fresh rosemary leaves. (rub down the length of the stem to remove leaves. Discard stem)
2 Tbs dried oregano (fresh is not better in this case!)
8 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
the zest of 1/2 lemon
the juice of 2 lemons, or 1 cup of fresh lemon juice sold in the plastic lemon in supermarkets.
1 Tbs course salt
1 Tbs freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
One butterflied leg of lamb (ask your butcher to do this for you and have them remove tough membranes and fat).
Tzatziki:
1 16 oz. container whole milk yogurt
1 medium cucumber
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 Tbs red wine vinegar

Steps:

FOR LAMB: Combine first 11 ingredients. Rub well into both sides of lamb. Place lamb in large zip-type storage bag or leave in bowl covered. Place into refrigerator for at least 2 days and up to 3. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to allow lamb to come to room temperature. Wipe off most herb mixture, reserving marinade for basting. Roast lamb over coals or low gas grill heat covered for 20 minutes, basting and turning after 10 minutes. Remove cover and baste and grill another 10 minutes (5 minutes each side) or until lamb is cooked medium - medium rare. Remove to platter, tent with foil and let lamb rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain. Place in pita bread warmed quickly on the grill . Top with tzatziki (traditional yougurt sauce - recipe follows), shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced red onion and crumbled feta cheese. For Taziki: Place yogurt into fine strainer lined with cheescloth (or damp coffee filter). Set strainer over bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let drain overnight to make "yogurt cheese". Discard whey mixture that accumulates in bottom of bowl. Remove seeds from cucumber and grate. Salt lightly and let sit one hour. Squeeze grated cucumber to remove excess water. Mix cucumber with rest of ingredients into yogurt and let rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve in hollowed out red cabbage to make a clever presentation!