Gyro

Method

1. grate10 min
   salted, draining in a sieve
   cucumber + the quarter-teaspoon of salt, then squeeze hard in a towel — cucumber is most of the way to water, and unsqueezed it will thin the tzatziki into a puddle by the time you eat
2. mix5 min
   cold, refrigerated after
   drained cucumber + yogurt + grated garlic + dill + lemon juice = tzatziki; rest it cold while the meat cooks so the raw garlic edge softens into the yogurt
3. mince10 min
   food processor, meat very cold
   lamb + beef + squeezed grated onion + minced garlic + oregano + rosemary + cumin + salt + black pepper, pulsed to a smooth sticky paste, 30–40 seconds total. This is the whole trick: pasting the meat extracts myosin so the loaf sets dense and sliceable like spit meat instead of crumbling like a meatball. Keep it cold or the fat smears and the loaf renders greasy
4. rest30 min
   refrigerated
   the paste, packed tight into a small loaf pan with no air pockets — air pockets become tears when you slice
5. bake55 min
   325°F, pan set in a water bath
   the loaf until 165°F at the center; the water bath keeps the outside from setting into a crust before the middle cooks, which is what makes thin even slices possible
6. rest15 min
   weighted, foil-covered
   the loaf under a heavy can or a second pan — pressing while it cools compacts the meat and drives out loose fat, so the chilled block slices without shattering
7. slice5 min
   cooled, sharp knife
   the loaf across the grain as thin as you can manage, no thicker than a coin
8. sear4 min
   dry pan, high
   the slices in a single layer, undisturbed, until the edges brown and curl — the crisp edge is the part the rotisserie gives you and the oven does not
9. toast2 min
   dry pan or open flame
   pita, brushed with olive oil, just until pliable and blistered; a cold pita cracks when you roll it
10. top4 min
    warm pita + tzatziki spread to the edges + seared meat + tomato + red onion + optionals, then roll tight and wrap the bottom half in paper so the sauce stays inside