John Myers
Traditionally, gyros are made from pork. The rather soft meat from the pork neck is ideal. The meat is cut into strips and seasoned. Salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and thyme are common. Some cooks also add cumin, marjoram, and coriander.
The seasoned gyros meat is then layered on a skewer. The Greek term “gyros” can be translated into German as “to turn”. This also explains the traditional way of preparation: The gyro skewer is placed vertically in a grill and slowly turned so that the outer layers of meat can be fried and scraped off.
Gyros meat is often served in pita, a flatbread made from yeast dough. It is usually garnished with coleslaw, onions, and tzatziki. But even without pita, gyros is very tasty. In both cases, French fries or rice are served as a side dish.
The preparation of gyros is basically similar to the Turkish doner kebab. The most important difference is the meat used, because pork is never used for a doner kebab. Traditionally mutton or lamb is used. Veal, beef, or poultry such as turkey or chicken are also common these days. Gyros can also be prepared from lamb, chicken, and, less often, beef. In these cases, however, it is not the traditional recipe.
