Shawarmas, donairs, and gyros

I love meat in a pita almost as much as meat on a stick, but I really do get confused with different cultural versions of these similar sandwiches, especially now that they've become so Americanized. I don't even know what sauce to use anymore, there can be tahini, hummus, tzatziki, garlic sauce, and others, and then there's the veggies and different meats. I usually don't know what I'm eating but always enjoy:)

Anyways, I was hoping Omri and/or anyone with experience making their own could comment on their ingredients and way of making them, and how can you cook the meat decently without a proper rotisserie spit? I'm hoping to try on the bbq's rotisserie, but I have few concerns about low internal meat temps(even though its the outside cooked part that is eaten). I would assume some sort of cure, brine or preservatives would be needed if the inside stays undercooked for a long period of time, although I've never noticed this in any recipes.
Any comments appreciated.
 
BEcause there have been no "authentic" responses, I will now post my americanized response to at least give you something!!!

SWMBO and I mixed 1/2 lamb and 1/2 beef, tons of oregano, basil, and greek seasoning (cavenders), and put that on the rotisserie.

I was afraid it would fall apart, but it held. (horizontal rotisserie)

We ate it with some home-made flat bread, and a fantastic cold sauce.

The sauce was 1 cup ranch dressing, 2 cloves of garlic mashed, 1/2 a large cucumber diced fine, 1/4 cup of feta crumbled fine, salt and pepper.

Grilled onions and bell peppers finished them off.

The sauce was great the next day on grilled chicken breasts, and the "gyro" meat was great left over in pitas with a dill pickle in it.
 
Sickmont said:
i do know for a fact that Gyros are an american thing, meant to sound greek.

Actually the gyro or gyro pita pronounced eero is a traditional greek dish. Derived from the Turkish "Doner Kebab"

Spent a summer in Greece and got a 20 minute lecture on the history and preparation of it when i ordered one and pronounced it jairo.
 
Aw, pints of Stella and a Doner Kebab with a mouth like the bottom of a bird's cage in the morning. I miss those days... kind of.
 
Add to this, there is a Mexican version! Al pastor. It's layers of pork, pineapple, and spices on a spit. And it's delicious! Served as a taco.
 
thehotpepper.com said:
Add to this, there is a Mexican version! Al pastor. It's layers of pork, pineapple, and spices on a spit. And it's delicious! Served as a taco.

my favorite taco

POTAWIE said:
I'm hoping to try on the bbq's rotisserie, but I have few concerns about low internal meat temps(even though its the outside cooked part that is eaten). I would assume some sort of cure, brine or preservatives would be needed if the inside stays undercooked for a long period of time, although I've never noticed this in any recipes.
Any comments appreciated.

you really dont have to worry about the low temperature... we bbq at 225*F or 107.22*C. it will cook just like a regular cut of meat.

heres a couple of recipes that i use in the oven.. reminds me, i need to make some donairs soon..lol

the first recipe is a different version but works very well

Spicy Donair

what is a donair you ask? pronounced "DOUGH-nair". It's a Mediterranean-style pita-bread sandwich of uncertain provenance. The donair is similar to a gyro, except that the meat is beef, not lamb, and the sauce more resembles honey mustard salad dressing than the cucumber dill of tzatziki. While it most likely came from Greece, Turkey, or Lebanon, the donair has achieved ubiquity in Halifax, starting in the 1970s.

this recipe calls for lamb and pork products simply because i like them.. you can leave out those ingredients if you want the traditional dish

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup ground lamb
1/4 cup grated pepperoni
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 325*F

Place all ingredients in food processor. Process until extremely well mixed. (Knead for about 15 minutes if you do not have a processor)

Form into a loaf; place it on a broiler pan. If you do not have one, use baking sheet.

Bake for 2 hours, turning the loaf over about half way through. This will ensure even cooking.

For best results let stand till cool and refrigerate overnight. Then slice and reheat slices in fry pan just till heated through.

Heat Pita and meat, place mozzarella stick on pita, add heated meat, your favorite donair sauce, the diced onion, dice tomato, shredded lettuce.

Also makes a great pizza, layer with mozzarella cheese, spread with my garlic sweet sauce, add more cheese, add Donair meat, pepperoni slices, onions, and tomatoes, bake 15 minutes, add lettuce after cooked.

Note:

Wet pitas lightly before heating up so they remain soft.

simple donair sauce

2/3 cup canned evaporated milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder

You should be able to get thick sauce simply by following the instructions in the top recipe. I can get mine a bit thicker than yogurt. Occasionally, I blow it and stir too much and the sauce gets thin again. If your sauce is not thick enough (I like spoons to stand up in it) follow the recipe below. It is my new favorite.

Alternate SUPER-THICK Sauce Recipe

2/3 cup canned sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Follow the same instructions as above, except that you really need to stir for a long time to get the condensed milk and vinegar mixed properly. Do not be alarmed. Stirring this recipe for a long time will not make it thin. Leave set for a few minutes and you will be able to turn the bowl upside down and none of it will pour out.

Please note, the amount of sauce provided in this recipe will likely last two servings at most (if used properly). I find that the sauce can be made in larger batches and survives an unnaturally long time in the fridge.

Donair - Original Recipe
For the sauce:
2/3 cup canned evaporated milk(must be full fat, or the sauce will be too thin.)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the Meat:
3 pounds lean hamburger (triple ground is the usual but I use medium to keep it moist.)(or 3lbs ground lamb)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp cayenne red pepper (depending on your taste)
1 1/2 tsp oregano
3 tsp paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Pita Bread
Toppings: Diced Tomato and Onion

For The Sauce:

Stir canned milk, sugar and garlic powder until sugar is dissolved. Add vinegar and continue mixing. The quicker you add the vinegar and the less you mix (I usually give the spoon 3 or 4 turns around the bowl), the thicker the sauce will be.

Let sauce sit for at least one hour in refrigerator before using. Eventually (hours to days later), the sauce may start to separate.

DO NOT STIR IT. Simply skim the thick sauce off the top. It tastes fine, despite the appearance that all the vinigar has seeped out of it.

For the Meat:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Knead for 20 minutes or just put it in your food processor like I do. Shape into two tightly formed loaves.

Bake on broiler pan for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cool loaves and slice into thin or thick slices depending on how you like it. Meat can be frozen for future use. If (like me) you are not fortunate enough to own your own rotary-stick-cooker thing like the ones in the good shops, you may find that the inner parts of the loaf are not browned enough or some like a slight crispiness to their slices. This can be remedied by re-heating the meat in a frying pan. This browns it nicely and gives it that slightly chewier texture.

Assembly:

Heat donair meat in a frying pan. Dip a pita bread in water and fry in frying pan to soften (this is VERY important). Place a generous amount of sauce on bread. Top with meat, chopped onions and tomatoes and finish off with lots more sauce. Put on some old clothes, then roll up or serve open face on a plate. Utensils are strictly forbidden.
 
I know I'm late, but saw "Shawarma" and had to take a closer look. :P
Use lamb. use lamb fat. eat with Tahini (or whatever you call it). you can season it, but you don't have to. it tastes amazing as is.

That simple. :)
 
Spicy Donair

what is a donair you ask? pronounced "DOUGH-nair". It's a Mediterranean-style pita-bread sandwich of uncertain provenance. The donair is similar to a gyro, except that the meat is beef, not lamb, and the sauce more resembles honey mustard salad dressing than the cucumber dill of tzatziki. While it most likely came from Greece, Turkey, or Lebanon, the donair has achieved ubiquity in Halifax, starting in the 1970s.

I found this post while searching for something else, but...

The donair was invented in Halifax by a Greek man. This guy was (he has past away) a friend of my wife's stepfather who is also from Greece. Donairs are awesome, period. :)
 
I believe donairs are a Halifax or Canadian version of the Doner sandwich but there are many similar sandwiches
 
Anyone use a vertical rotisserie for this stuff? I would dearly love to do up some authentic pastor with the pineapple dripping down from on top!
 
This kind of makes me think about Brazilian cooking with all the rotisserie stuff. I'm going to have to go to Philly soon.
 
Dang...all this rotissarie talk has my mouth watering. There is a GREAT Brazillian resterant in Seattle that has an amazing rotisserie meat assortment. You get a card that is green on one side and red on the other. If the card is placed with green side up they bring the meat on a sword to your table and cut it off right there. Other waiters will continue to stop by your table with different meats until you flip the card to red! MMMM MMM GOOD! :dance:
 
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