I decided to give this a go and think i have a good idea for an entry. I will be submitting a Greek-style fatty based loosely on the gyro, which is predominant under many names in Middle-Eastern style cuisine, of which Greek cuisine is a part. I haven't yet decided whether to go with all-lamb or half-lamb/half pork. I am leaning toward the half-n-half.
Here is the basic recipe i'll be using for the fattie:
Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.
Since I still have a few fresh herbs from my herb garden last year, I will use these as much as possible - also, I may add a bit of a "secret" ingredient that will, for now, go un-named.
I will then roll it out flat on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. I'll lay out some fillings - not 100% sure yet what these will be, but I am thinking feta cheese, tomatoes, perhaps some chopped onion and garlic (sauteed a bit) and any other apporpriate filling that would normally be common to Greek food (perhaps spinach leaves?).
I'll then roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, i'll twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight and store in the refrigerator overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.
The next day, I'll toss this on the smoker and smoke low and slow until done. Smoke with what? I'm not sure. The obvious choices, hickory, cherry, apple etc. are not native to Greece as far as i know. I may use one of them anyway. I have heard of people using grape vines and this would be interesting and also keep with the Greek theme, but I have none. Whatever it is, it will have to be mild; I might also try throwing on a few garlic cloves to smoke and some fresh herbs.
To help keep it moist, I'll baste every now and then by brushing on a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and perhaps some herbs. I'll be shooting for an internal temperature of around 172-175 degrees.
When done, I'll let it rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve it in pita pockets with chopped cucumber, tomoatoes, sliced onions and of course feta cheese. I'll also offer tzatziki sauce (recipe below) as a topping. If I was really ambitious, I'd try to make home-made pitas, but I don't think I'll be able to get this much going as I am also planning to do a pork shoulder for the first time on the same day.
Tzatziki Sauce
Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint.
Yield: 1&1/2 cups
ANY comments and suggestions on method, ingredients, preparation etc. will be welcomed and taken into consideration. I've never attempted anything quite this ambitious, so I'm flying a little blind here. Based on what I know about Greek and Middle-Eastern food, this will be a good fusion of that cuisine with American methods. A running account of this attempt, with pictures, will be provided on this thread. I'll post a final, "dressed-up" picture of the entry on the appropriate thread.
P.S. - in case you haven't figured it out yet, the "secret ingredient" is Cavender's Greek Seasoning!
Here is the basic recipe i'll be using for the fattie:
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
- 2 pounds ground lamb (or a 50/50 combination of lamb and pork)
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.
Since I still have a few fresh herbs from my herb garden last year, I will use these as much as possible - also, I may add a bit of a "secret" ingredient that will, for now, go un-named.
I will then roll it out flat on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. I'll lay out some fillings - not 100% sure yet what these will be, but I am thinking feta cheese, tomatoes, perhaps some chopped onion and garlic (sauteed a bit) and any other apporpriate filling that would normally be common to Greek food (perhaps spinach leaves?).
I'll then roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, i'll twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight and store in the refrigerator overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.
The next day, I'll toss this on the smoker and smoke low and slow until done. Smoke with what? I'm not sure. The obvious choices, hickory, cherry, apple etc. are not native to Greece as far as i know. I may use one of them anyway. I have heard of people using grape vines and this would be interesting and also keep with the Greek theme, but I have none. Whatever it is, it will have to be mild; I might also try throwing on a few garlic cloves to smoke and some fresh herbs.
To help keep it moist, I'll baste every now and then by brushing on a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and perhaps some herbs. I'll be shooting for an internal temperature of around 172-175 degrees.
When done, I'll let it rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve it in pita pockets with chopped cucumber, tomoatoes, sliced onions and of course feta cheese. I'll also offer tzatziki sauce (recipe below) as a topping. If I was really ambitious, I'd try to make home-made pitas, but I don't think I'll be able to get this much going as I am also planning to do a pork shoulder for the first time on the same day.
Tzatziki Sauce
- 16 ounces plain yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped or shredded
- Pinch kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced
Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint.
Yield: 1&1/2 cups
ANY comments and suggestions on method, ingredients, preparation etc. will be welcomed and taken into consideration. I've never attempted anything quite this ambitious, so I'm flying a little blind here. Based on what I know about Greek and Middle-Eastern food, this will be a good fusion of that cuisine with American methods. A running account of this attempt, with pictures, will be provided on this thread. I'll post a final, "dressed-up" picture of the entry on the appropriate thread.
P.S. - in case you haven't figured it out yet, the "secret ingredient" is Cavender's Greek Seasoning!
