When Did Gyros Become Ground Meat?

That's why I prefer shawarma. I would say that I prefer the layered meat type vs the ground type. I also like it well cooked, that vertical spit better be hot.
 
Yendor said:
That's why I prefer shawarma. I would say that I prefer the layered meat type vs the ground type. I also like it well cooked, that vertical spit better be hot.
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Isn't shawarma just the Arabic term for gyro and means the same thing?
 
I'm going to have to quiz Mrs ~t~ about how she does the loaf style Gyro meat. It's not like forming a meatloaf or anything, I think there is some pressing going on, and I believe she makes them at least the day before and they chill out overnight (or longer). And I'm not completely sure all the meat is ground, I thing some may be pulsed in a food processor to help with the binding.

At any rate, I can tell you that it slices nicely and we cut each slice into strips. Leftover and cold, it slices really nice and I reheat in a skillet.
 
I go to a place in Sugar Land that has DELICIOUS gyros, thin sliced lamb. How authentic it all is compared to actual Greek food from Greece I cannot say, but it's a local business that takes care of their customers, and I enjoy everything I eat there. Typically it's their gyro platter though.
 
jazzybadger said:
I go to a place in Sugar Land that has DELICIOUS gyros, thin sliced lamb. How authentic it all is compared to actual Greek food from Greece I cannot say, but it's a local business that takes care of their customers, and I enjoy everything I eat there. Typically it's their gyro platter though.
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Sounds great. Do they cook them on a vertical spit or could you tell?
 
This is a very informational thread. I really like gyro's and I'm betting our local places do the ground route. I haven't been in a while. I might have to try again, for science :wink:
 
I went back to the Greek restaurant today to check out just how they make their Gyros.

They buy a cone of ground beef and lamb. The manager said he believes it is made in Chicago. It looked pre-cooked to me, but I didn't ask. The vertical radiant heater looked more like a warmer than a cooker due to it's relatively small size. I thought the resulting product was pretty good, but not superior in any respect.

Here is a picture of their setup.

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To be honest, I never claimed to know what a "true" gyro is, but I would bet on the meat sliced and piled on a skewer, roasted vertically. But the kronos product I mentioned earlier is found on vertical roasters all over chicagoland,(and the country, per their info) and has been for over 30 years.as I also supposed before, the texture of it, when carved off the spit, seems kind of like a strip of meat(well....sorta). I dug deeper, and found that the kronos folks have or had a restaurant where they did the stacked slice method....old school style. But the price point was higher.
But the cones are the prevelent way because they guarantee best price while maintaining consistent product. Difficult if not impossible with stacked, sliced meat
 
These are the only Gyros I have tasted Stoke&Smoke, so I can't compare them to the traditional Greek ones. I am going to take the time to find a restaurant that does them the old way and see.

Thank you for the insight you provide. I understand the forces which create this expedient. Similar forces have changed the BBQ world.
 
If in NYC you need to go here.....

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaY_C5JYX5o"]Building the Ultimate Gyro at BZ Grill - YouTube[/ame]
 
Ground gyros remind me of Bart Simpson eating nuggafied fish porklets.Homer referred to them as Fish-Pork-Nuggets-a-Roni.:twitch: Just funnin.To each their own.The Only ones I ever tasted were the ones with the meat slices stacked on top of each other and roasted on a vertical split.Good eats.I am sure the grounds ones are TASTEE too.:grin:
 
I've always had gyros made from ground loafs that spin on a hot vertical rotisserie. I didn't know that whole meat cuts would be considered a gyro at all. All those spices mixed into the lamb loaf is what makes it a gyro to me, and it all holds together just as if it is one piece of meat and not ground.

By the way, are french fries REALLY a traditional addition to a gyro? I've never ever ever seen them used as a filling or topping. Always served on the side if they come with the order. Seems strange to me that it's a "traditional" topping in Greece. Seems like an American hamburger throwback if anything.
 
bigabyte said:
I wonder how Aussie's do their gyros?:confused: You know, with the Aussie TD and all...
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Bill shuld be the full bottle on this, he lives in the second largest greek population on the planet.

My experience from here is
Shawarma: Vertical grill, Chicken or lamb. Never seen pork.
Gyros: Vertical griller and two types, layers of meat or more commonly over the last 20 years due to the increase in profit margin, a column of packed ground lamb, beef.Never seen pork.
Souvlaki: Strips of Lamb grilled, often skewered then pulled off into the bread with salad and sauces. No pork.
My fave.
Interestingly, Gyros tested 400% higher in both occurrence and rate of food contamination of all take out foods, by food scientist downunder.
Usually the main consumer is Aussies pissed out of their skulls so the beer gets blamed:heh:

Never ever seen french fries with them.
 
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