Last year I made a gyro meat recipe based on Alton Brown’s method, which I really like. It’s a great way to use ground lamb, and it produces some really great results. The only thing that prevents it from being an all-time great is that it involves a bit of work – blending everything in a food processor, wrapping it with plastic wrap, letting it sit out for two hours, then roasting it in a water bath. It’s not a huge deal, but not a quick and easy meal by any means. So I’ve always wanted to work out a grilled gyros recipe that produces similar tastes but with minimal work. When US Wellness Meats asked me to try their new lamb tenderloin, it was time to put my new idea to the test.

Gyro meat, often referred to as doner or shawarma meat, is meat roasted on a rotating vertical spit and shaved off. Most Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern countries have some variation of this dish as a common street food. Depending on where you’re getting it, the meat can be made of lamb, beef, goat, chicken or a combination of meats.

Slightly off-topic, but I was recently a guest on the Born Primal podcast, where I talked about my health history and some of my culinary inspirations. Let me know what you think.



Serves two

2 lamb tenderloins or 1 lb lamb shoulder

1/4 medium onion

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp water

1 tsp each dried marjoram and mint

1/4 tsp grated lemon rind

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Slice the lamb into 1″ chunks that are the width of the tenderloin.

Blend your remaining ingredients, then place them in a ziploc bag with the sliced tenderloin, and marinate for at least two hours in the fridge (four is ideal).

Skewer the meat with two skewers, be sure not to overcrowd your skewer – you want a good distance between your pieces of lamb so they cook thoroughly. Grill over direct heat, on high, until medium-done, about three minutes per side. Serve with chopped tomatoes, cucumber slices, and my homemade tzatziki if you’re dairy-inclined.

Printer-friendly version