This experiment attempts to replicate how gyros is made on a vertical spit but without the actual spit. I read a page about authentic gyros and I was surprised to learn they use large chunks of meat and stack the irregular pieces on the spit. It's a mess starting out. The draining fat coalesces the layers which is shaved as it roasts so each piece is roasted thoroughly on the surface. This experiment heavily seasons very thin layers which are then carefully stacked in a bread pan that is compressed with another bread pan and weighted with a cast-iron frying pan inside the oven. It's like a meatloaf except more dense and less moist. Less child-friendly.
Tzatziki
Pita
Pita
The pita bread was baked between two pizza stones in an oven with heat set to high as it would go.
Conclusion: Gyros is dry, but this is too dry. It's delicious but it needs help. My next attempt I'll heed online instructions and go ahead and grind the meat. I didn't want to do that because it seemed too close to meatloaf. Now I know better. This didn't coalesce as well as I expected. It contains hardly any fat at all. The next time I'll incorporate some of my own breadcrumbs in order to retain more fat and moisture. Hopefully it'll stick together better too.
[Heston Blumenthal talks about a food enzyme he experiments with that glues proteins together. Transglutaminase or summat, which is available on Amazon but costs $88.00 for a 2.2 LB package. That would work, but honestly, is that going too far? I do not know. I do like to experiment and I paid a lot more than that for education. Have you ever taken a lab class? They soak you, they do, and it's not nearly as fun. ]
This is the first time I baked pita. It turned out too close to pretzel bread. It's delicious but it could not be used as a sandwich. Next time I'll just pan fry it like I usually do. It's faster and better.
Of course, you can buy pita and tzatziki pre-made, but come on, what's the fun in that?
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