I was going through my blog posts for inspiration and found an idea I had started but never finished. So here it is, a little background info and a recipe that my whole family loves!
When I lived in The Netherlands after high school my family came to visit and we took a holiday together. My youngest brother was 12 at the time, so we were all old enough for the longer days that were involved in a trip like this. One of our favorite memories was visiting a little gyros shop on the island of Crete where there was a little old man serving up the delectable meat wraps. Years later I went back with my husband in search of the shop, but it had disappeared. There really isn't anywhere local in Saskatchewan that compares to the gyros we ate there (and maybe part of it is the sunshine and atmosphere that just can't be copied). I am always interested in making things that are special to us a bit lighter so I went on a search for a recipe. I found a rough idea on Wikipedia and started experimenting. Each time I make it, it is a little different, but that is just the charm of the recipe. Here is the basic idea: NOTE! Do not use this much salt! I usually change it to be 4 tsp or less.
I would suggest making this quantity to decide if you like it. Then you can multiply it and make a much larger batch (I store in mason jars, and give away a jar to my parents and brothers). Remember that technically a pinch is 1/16 of a tsp. here is my math for the "big batch". You will have this spice for a loooong time if you make the big batch.
2 to 4.5cups (32-72 tsp) salt (or less, see note above)
2 cups (32 tsp) paprika
1 cup (16 tsp) pepper
1.5 cup (24 tsp) parsley
1 cup (16 tsp) garlic powder
1.5 cup (24 tsp) oregano
1/2 tsp each of the remaining ingredients: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, anise, coriander, fennel, allspice
The basic way I use this as a rub for pork tenderloin. I trim the fat and then coat the meat, roasting in the oven or BBQ until the internal temp reaches the correct temp. Another way is to cut the pork into "chops" and sprinkle with the seasoning and BBQ or pan fry it. I bet it would work well in a slow cooker to make sort of "pulled pork", esp if you planned to serve at a gathering (I will try this sometime and update on how it was). I will be doing a post at a later date on how I make my gyros, but the basic composition is pita filled with gyros spiced meat (lamb is traditional, but as I said I use pork), tomato, cucumber, red onion and tzatziki sauce (which I also have a yummy recipe for!). Lots have French fries right in there as well (which I don't care for, but my hubby loves). It is also yummy served as just the meat (the chops) with roasted potatoes and a Greek salad with tzatzoki to use as dipping sauce (and that would be a simply filling meal). Happy experimenting, leave a comment if you tried it and any changes you made to the recipe!
