Donairs is what we call them, Yero, or Gyro are other names depending on where you live.
And in most parts of Canada people want the East Coast style of Donair. Which this is.
I worked for a great Chef, Peter. who was Greek and the Donair is a Mediterranean style food, that is cooked
on a vertical spit that spins ( Gyro ) and cooks only the outside. And you shave with a long knife as it cooks. Peter started making donairs
with all Lamb, than half lamb and half beef than just beef at a 80/20 =/- ratio of fat to meat. He found that the Nova Scotians just did not
take to the Lamb at all. And he changed the donair sauce to can milk and sweeter instead of the real sauce that was call Tzatziki, ( yogurt, cucumber etc etc )
This is from The Canadian Hotel and Restaurant Magazine from the 70's
We would make 90 lbs at a time, 3 of the big meat ball (as the magazine called it) per batch, and when I worked for Peter , I was a little younger and had hair than.
Stop laughing. The size of the finished Donair that you will see is actual size we would serve. Now you can get many sizes and just about anything on them now depending
where in the country you go. But the East Coast Donair is the first, and the ones most want. Some call them East Coast but put pepperoni, cheese Lettice or anything, not the same
So here it is:
I do not have the donair vertical cooker, so I made a loaf and baked it to a med temp of 155-160 f. I wanted it to stay juicy for later.
I raised it up to bake so not sitting in the fat that I am saving for later. ( sorry thats my Back Bacon in the back of first picture. And if
you look at the picture of Peter slicing the meat it comes off in long thin narrow strips. So after the loaf is cooked cooled until slicing day
next day. I cut it down the middle so when I slice it is close to the same as the knife slices
First The sauce is made with can milk ,sugar, gran. garlic, vinegar and parsley . Mix the milk and sugar and garlic and parsley until sugar is dissolved.
Do this in a flat bottom high side bowl because you want to with a big spoon stir back and forth along the bottom so the milk mix is rolling fast than
quickly pour in the vinegar and STOP as you raise the spoon to the top. Now you have a very thick almost like yogurt. Put in fridge
Now to put it all together. I use the grease i saved to put in the frying pan put in enough sliced meat for 3 donairs , start to fry lightly add a little water
and cover for a minute. Remove the cover than just fry lightly
In another pan little more of the same grease ( keeping the donair flavor on everything ) dip the pita bread in water and fry in the 2nd pan. You want the bread soft
with a light fry on it . Not crunchy !!
Now on to the pita bread, first layer of sauce, meat , onions, tomatoes, more sauce and top with chopped parsley.
Now roll into the tinfoil like an ice cream cone. That is how I was told to do it , ha ha . and tell the customers to peel it like a banana
Ha ha Mona finally got in one of the pictures # 3 holding the Donair
My wife loves Donairs and she will get one every month of so. This is the first full Donair the right way that I have had in many years.
It was really good to have the real close to the old recipe that Peter did after so many years . I really don't eat them because I have literally
made thousands of them when I used to cook that style of foods . When I say close I mean I have the original recipe , but it was for 90 lb's. So
over the years for a couple friends I broke it down to 10lb, than 5lb for my son , because he cannot get the real thing in British Columbia .
Now for me , I broke it down for 2 1/2 lb's. And it is still real close. And Mona is happy and still some meat in the freezer for her. I am done for awhile again
So I was busy today I also surprised her with a dessert that I thought might be good. Pick up some Croissants and hollowed them out a little . Softened
some cream cheese, added cool whip icing sugar, blended fresh strawberries and mixed all together. Piped into the Croissants and chilled. Than served
on a plate with some of the blended strawberries and some chopped berries and a dab of the filling
I cut one just to show it was full, getting warm in the kitchen, starting to get soft
If you made it to the end
Sorry so long but I wanted to explain the Donair's to everyone
Thanks
David
And in most parts of Canada people want the East Coast style of Donair. Which this is.
I worked for a great Chef, Peter. who was Greek and the Donair is a Mediterranean style food, that is cooked
on a vertical spit that spins ( Gyro ) and cooks only the outside. And you shave with a long knife as it cooks. Peter started making donairs
with all Lamb, than half lamb and half beef than just beef at a 80/20 =/- ratio of fat to meat. He found that the Nova Scotians just did not
take to the Lamb at all. And he changed the donair sauce to can milk and sweeter instead of the real sauce that was call Tzatziki, ( yogurt, cucumber etc etc )
This is from The Canadian Hotel and Restaurant Magazine from the 70's
We would make 90 lbs at a time, 3 of the big meat ball (as the magazine called it) per batch, and when I worked for Peter , I was a little younger and had hair than.
Stop laughing. The size of the finished Donair that you will see is actual size we would serve. Now you can get many sizes and just about anything on them now depending
where in the country you go. But the East Coast Donair is the first, and the ones most want. Some call them East Coast but put pepperoni, cheese Lettice or anything, not the same
So here it is:
I do not have the donair vertical cooker, so I made a loaf and baked it to a med temp of 155-160 f. I wanted it to stay juicy for later.
I raised it up to bake so not sitting in the fat that I am saving for later. ( sorry thats my Back Bacon in the back of first picture. And if
you look at the picture of Peter slicing the meat it comes off in long thin narrow strips. So after the loaf is cooked cooled until slicing day
next day. I cut it down the middle so when I slice it is close to the same as the knife slices
First The sauce is made with can milk ,sugar, gran. garlic, vinegar and parsley . Mix the milk and sugar and garlic and parsley until sugar is dissolved.
Do this in a flat bottom high side bowl because you want to with a big spoon stir back and forth along the bottom so the milk mix is rolling fast than
quickly pour in the vinegar and STOP as you raise the spoon to the top. Now you have a very thick almost like yogurt. Put in fridge
Now to put it all together. I use the grease i saved to put in the frying pan put in enough sliced meat for 3 donairs , start to fry lightly add a little water
and cover for a minute. Remove the cover than just fry lightly
In another pan little more of the same grease ( keeping the donair flavor on everything ) dip the pita bread in water and fry in the 2nd pan. You want the bread soft
with a light fry on it . Not crunchy !!
Now on to the pita bread, first layer of sauce, meat , onions, tomatoes, more sauce and top with chopped parsley.
Now roll into the tinfoil like an ice cream cone. That is how I was told to do it , ha ha . and tell the customers to peel it like a banana
Ha ha Mona finally got in one of the pictures # 3 holding the Donair
My wife loves Donairs and she will get one every month of so. This is the first full Donair the right way that I have had in many years.
It was really good to have the real close to the old recipe that Peter did after so many years . I really don't eat them because I have literally
made thousands of them when I used to cook that style of foods . When I say close I mean I have the original recipe , but it was for 90 lb's. So
over the years for a couple friends I broke it down to 10lb, than 5lb for my son , because he cannot get the real thing in British Columbia .
Now for me , I broke it down for 2 1/2 lb's. And it is still real close. And Mona is happy and still some meat in the freezer for her. I am done for awhile again
So I was busy today I also surprised her with a dessert that I thought might be good. Pick up some Croissants and hollowed them out a little . Softened
some cream cheese, added cool whip icing sugar, blended fresh strawberries and mixed all together. Piped into the Croissants and chilled. Than served
on a plate with some of the blended strawberries and some chopped berries and a dab of the filling
I cut one just to show it was full, getting warm in the kitchen, starting to get soft
If you made it to the end
Sorry so long but I wanted to explain the Donair's to everyone
Thanks
David
