Greek Food
 

I'd love to eat some of that wonderful, sausage-y meat they put on gyros and in greek salads in greek restaurants [souvlaki?].

But I can't find carb counts for it anywhere. Does anyone know how this meat is made - that is, does it have sugar or grain fillers? Or better yet, what is the carb count?

I did a search and found this page for Schlotsky's Deli:
http://www.cooldeli.com/nutri_salads.html

it says that Greek Salad has 10 grams CHO.

You could find a decent recipe by doing a search. I think there is some bread in the usual recipe, so if you get it from a restaurant keep that in mind.

Thanks, vir. When I looked at the menu, as good as it sounds that salad doesn't have any of the greek meat I'm looking for - it's all veggies.

It is truly mystery meat - wonder where restaurants get it?

Checked the link and the salad is 10 grams but subtract the fiber 4grams and its a net of only 6 grams.

Greek gyro meat. . .
 

I think the large slabs of meat one sees in Greek restaurants, the one that rotate around a heat source: the ones that get slices off, around and around as the slab shrinks. . . is usually a combo of lamb and beef.

Why don't you go into a Greek restaurant and ASK what is in their gyro meat? If it is just meat, no problemo, eh?

I have seen this kind of meat in freezers in fancier grocery stores: if you can find it, check the box.

I love gyro meat, too. Also, if you have access to a Greek grocery, ask there.

This is a broad generalization, but I have found most people who provide ethinic foods for a living love to talk about their ethnic foods!

Thanks, committed.

Your description of the meat was a little too scrumptious!

I did buy some greek seasoning at the grocery store a few years ago. Someone gave me an elk roast and said to buy that and cook it up in a crock pot. Problem is, it had some wheat in it. Probably not enough to cause problems though. Check labels. I wonder if a restaurant would sell you a big slab or spy on them to learn who their supplier is?

I did a search for "Greek Seasoning" on Google:
http://www.bettsfoods.com/greek.htm Sugar is last ingredient.
http://www.greekolivewarehouse.com/greekseascav1.html This is the kind I used but it has some MSG in it.

Here is a link to a recipe too long to C&P here:
http://www.geocities.com/ritashanty...s/rec-gyro.html


I also looked up "Greek Seasoning Recipe" and got this from http://www.recipegoldmine.com/season/season42.html:

GREEK SEASONING BLEND

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Serve with steaks, pork chops, chicken, or fish.

Yields 1/4 cup.



Another, different one from http://www.recipecottage.com/dry-mi...oning-mix.html:
4 TBS. oregano
6 tsp. fennel seeds
6 tsp. dried lemon grass
3/4 tsp. black pepper

Grind herbs to a fine powder, bottle, and label. The above amounts
make up about 1/2 cup. Use within 6 mos for best flavour release.


Don't forget the tzatziki sauce!
http://www.geocities.com/ritashanty...c-tzatziki.html

Hope this helps and sorry I didn't really read your question previously!

Baring a striking resemblance to an elephant's leg on a skewer, the gyro or donner kebab as we in Britain call them is the drunkard's favourite alternative to a stomach pump. They round off a night on the razz with style, usually resulting in you adding your own "chutney bits" to this proceedings. I thought it might be made from badger, but upon research it is more likely to be a combination of barbecued seasoned mince, lamb, chicken or vegetables. Honest. :)

The word "donner" in fact means twirling or turning in Turkish. Meat is layered and stacked to make a giant roast that turns on a vertical spit in an upright rotisserie. Lumps are carved from the roast by a power-knife wielding Gringo, then rolled in a piece of pita or naan bread with a salad of sliced lettuce, onions, tomatoes and chilli / yoghurt / ketchup / mint sauce. Then it gets dropped on the floor - but you it eat anyway. I mean, you have paid for it.

Just don't eat the pita bread use it as a plate and it should be fairly low carb. The ten cans of bud may be a problem though.

On a slightly more serious note it is often difficult to know how much filler is in the meat but this recipe I found seems to be OK:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 kilos leg of lamb (US use beef as well )
50 gr. black pepper
2 kilos lamb fat, ground
1 egg
150 gr. salt
1 liter onion juice
1 cup olive oil

Remove any bits of skin and bone from the meat. Cut into serving-size pieces. Pound with a meat tenderizer or the edge of a heavy saucepan until 1/8 cm thick. Trim. Prepare a marinade of onion juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and soak meat in the marinade 12-24 hours. Soak lamb fat in hot water. Remove pieces of meat from the marinade. Spread over each piece of meat the lamb fat and ground lamb mixed with egg. Thread pieces of meat on a long skewer, starting with larger pieces. Trim the chunk of meat on the skewer and add trimmings to the end of the skewer. The chunk of meat is broiled in the Doner Kebab broiler, made specially for the purpose.

Enjoy

Speaking from your actual ethnic side of the pond here, most doner/gyro meat is held together by fat not filler.

It's ground lamb mixed with spices and extra fat. I know because Mom's bf is a Turkish Cypriot who owns a restaurant! Very handy that.

Eat the meat and salad, stay way from the pita and you'll be fine. Or just get souvlakia (the cubed meat) instead.

You can make your own using the sliced meat method as well. That way you can be sure that it's all meat.

This is my favorite quick on to go meal! I go to the local greek food stand in a mall and get a gyros with no pita or onions (I just don't like onions). I get a styrofoam package of that funky meat with tomatoes and yogurt sauce. I wolf it down. It's a relief to read here that it has no fillers. I think I would keep eating it even if it did because it's so delicious. Yum!