Gyros

I'll be honest, for as much as I love to cook I eat my fair share of fast food, and as long as I prepared to deal with the consequences and in good enough shape to drive I love gyros.  When I'm in the mood for gyros I usually hit up Super Gyros here in Bloomington.  But every time I eat there it makes me miss Zorbas in Champaign which is the gold standard when it comes to gyros. 

Anyway, this meal was the first time I tried it at home and it still makes me miss Zorbas.  On a side note, given the way Green Street is develping in Champaign I'm so glad that the owners of Zorba's vowed to come back after a fire destroyed their place about 18 months ago.  If they hadn't, about the only remaining block of Green Street that hadn't been redeveloped with an 8 story luxury apartment that costs twice as much as I ever paid even just 6 years ago, along with another chain fast food place would have replaced a U of I institution.

 Everything you need for the meat, onions, salt, pepper, ground lamb, garlic, rosemary and marjoram.

 The onions went into the food processor first, which were then drained briefly.  Then the rest of the ingredients went in until the mixture formed a paste.

 A gyro isn't complete without a tzatsiki sauce which is a yogurt cucumber sauce.  In addition to the cucumber and yogurt there's olive oil, garlic and red wine vinegar.

 This is the completed meatloaf.

The finished dish.  I also can't talk about gyros without thanking my dad.  He introduced me to them when I was 14 years old at a place on State Street in Madison after a ski trip with the high school youth group.  So thanks Dad and happy birthday.