Grilled Steak Gyros

My take on a greek diner classic. Gyros are usually slow roasted pieces of meat stuffed into a pita with lots of yummy goodness. My version takes marinated skirt steak and grills it to make it flavorful and tender. I then stuffed it into a lightly grilled pita with a tangy and creamy yogurt sauce and lots of crisp fresh veggies. Skirt steak is inexpensive and has a TON of flavor but can be a little tough. By using an acid in the marinade, the skirt steak starts to break down a bit. The next key is to cook it quickly over very high heat. You’ll sear in all the juices and the flavor.  The flavors that burst in your mouth after one bite will not disappoint. I think this just may become a new favorite in my house!


What You Need:

juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced (can use a micro-plane too)
2 tbs minced fresh oregano (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
1/3 c olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 c greek yogurt
1 large onion
1 lb skirt steak
4 pita breads
Tomato and cucumber, sliced
lettuce

What To Do:

In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, garlic, oregano, oil and some salt and pepper until well combined. Remove half of the marinade and set it aside for later. Pour the other half into a zip top bag with your meat. Make sure you coat the meat with the marinade. Seal the bag and let it do it’s job in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
Preheat your grill on high and remove the meat from the fridge, take it out of the marinade and toss whatever is left over in the bag. Combine two tbs of the marinade that you set aside earlier, with the 1/2 c greek yogurt. Peel and slice your onion into 4 thick but equal rounds. Take the remaining marinade and brush it onto your onions.
Place the onions on the grill along with your steak cooking both for a few minutes on each side. You want the onions to become soft and sweet and you want your steak to be cooked to your desired doneness. I suggest cooking no more then medium. Cooking it well done will only make it tough and chewy. Once it’s cooked remove it and your onions from the grill. Cover your steak with a piece of foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. While it’s resting, warm the pitas on the grill for about a minute per side. To serve, layer come lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, 1/4 of the grilled onions and some of the grilled steak onto 1 side of the pita. Top with a bit of the yogurt sauce, fold up your pita and devour!

Note: I’ve made this with a venison loin too and it’s just as good if not better then skirt steak!