Gyros in hiding – with Metaxa sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg pork (topside or neck) in one piece
• 2 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 lemon(s), the juice
• 1 tomato(s), thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion(s), sliced ​​into rings
• 2 cl Metaxa (5 stars)
• 300 ml vegetable broth, warm
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 4 tsp peppercorns, green
• ½ tsp salt
• 500 g pasta (e.g. rigatoni or tagliatelle)
• 1 bag of cheese (pizza cheese or Emmental or similar), grated
• 4 tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 5 hours 30 minutes

Own creation

Cut the meat into thin, fine strips. Mix the marinade ingredients together and let the meat marinate for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight). Sear in a preheated pan, remove after a few minutes, and set aside. For the sauce, fry the onion rings until translucent, deglaze with Metaxa, and simmer for two minutes. Then add the warm vegetable stock and stir in the tomato paste. After another two minutes, stir in the peppercorns and crème fraîche, bring to a boil briefly, and set aside. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Then drain. Arrange the meat in a baking dish and pour about half of the sauce over it. Arrange the pasta on top of the meat and pour the rest of the sauce over it. Finally, sprinkle the cheese over the meat. Bake the “Gyros in hiding” in a preheated oven at 200°C for another 10-15 minutes. A Greek salad and a glass of dry or semi-dry red wine go perfectly with this dish. Kali orexi!