How do you cook it?

[inliner311]

I've been making bread recently. I first started out with pizza dough from the store and making focaccia from it. Just press the dough into a pan that is well oiled with olive oil and add more olive oil in the top. Super easy.

Then I got a used bread machine from ebay. Made a couple loaves of basic white bread. Which was just measure the ingredients and set and forget on the machine.

After I got tired of that I started making dough in the machine and baking in the oven. Ive found good recipes for burger rolls, hoagie rolls, and crusty artisan bread. Tried making french bread but it was too dense and salty. I made some good onion rolls today. If anyone else is interested in bread, I'll put together the links for the bread that has worked out for me so far.

I bought a vertical rotisserie to modify to try to experiment with making Doner, shawarma, and gyro. I will try to make pita bread to go with that.

 

[gourimoko]

I've been making bread recently. I first started out with pizza dough from the store and making focaccia from it. Just press the dough into a pan that is well oiled with olive oil and add more olive oil in the top. Super easy.

Then I got a used bread machine from ebay. Made a couple loaves of basic white bread. Which was just measure the ingredients and set and forget on the machine.

After I got tired of that I started making dough in the machine and baking in the oven. Ive found good recipes for burger rolls, hoagie rolls, and crusty artisan bread. Tried making french bread but it was too dense and salty. I made some good onion rolls today. If anyone else is interested in bread, I'll put together the links for the bread that has worked out for me so far.

I bought a vertical rotisserie to modify to try to experiment with making Doner, shawarma, and gyro. I will try to make pita bread to go with that.

What vertical rotisserie did you end up getting?

We're making gyro on a horizontal rotisserie as well as a JoeTisserie if I want the added smoke (which, oddly enough, I typically don't).

 

[Sebastian]

What vertical rotisserie did you end up getting?

We're making gyro on a horizontal rotisserie as well as a JoeTisserie if I want the added smoke (which, oddly enough, I typically don't).

How is it turning out?

I have been seeking to remedy my "real lamb" problem with regard to gyros.

Hard to find places that aren't just getting everything from the same wholesale suppliers. Like finding a Chinese buffet that cooks its own food.

 

[The Oi]

I’ve been smoking a lot lately for my wife and friends. Even my 4 year old has been enjoying it.

Briskets, shoulders and ribs. I just can’t bring myself to fuck around with chicken and fish. Just not as fun.

I have never really cared for chicken. I must be the only person on Earth.

 

[inliner311]

What vertical rotisserie did you end up getting?

We're making gyro on a horizontal rotisserie as well as a JoeTisserie if I want the added smoke (which, oddly enough, I typically don't).

I got a used Sunbeam carousel rotisserie on eBay for $40. Every once in a while I check the prices of old industrial vertical rotisserie from restaurants on eBay to see if a small one would come up for cheap. When I saw the Sunbeam one I thought to myself I could easily cut up the basket for it to work. For $40 and it being a consumer version, it was project that I could try without caring if it doesn't work out.

When I googled to see if anyone else did it and the link below came up, I was sold. He used a Oster version but from what I can tell the Sunbeam is the exact same vertical rotisserie.

https://www.kalofagas.ca/2011/02/27/pork-gyro-at-home/

 

[inliner311]

How is it turning out?

I have been seeking to remedy my "real lamb" problem with regard to gyros.

Hard to find places that aren't just getting everything from the same wholesale suppliers. Like finding a Chinese buffet that cooks its own food.

I've also made gyro/doner at home but not on a rotisserie. I've used the 50/50 ground lamb and beef recipes Ive found online and I've also used ground chicken to make chicken gyro. I've also made it from 100% ground lamb but couldn't really taste the difference to the 50/50 lamb/beef mix.

I'll have to dig up the recipe, I think I have it in a word file on an old computer. It's fairly easy though, you make it like a meat loaf and the key to use a food processor to chop up the onions extremely fine and to get the meat more finely ground. Then you bake it, the recipe calls to use a brick on foil to compress it in the oven. I don't do that, I cook it then use my panini press with something heavy on top to finish it off. Then I thinly slice the top, flip it and if the bottom is evenly cooked, slice that off too into strips then repeat grilling it then repeat slicing it once it crisps up.

Also if you are in the Cleveland area, the only place I've found that makes their own gyro/doner is Anatolia Cafe in Cleveland heights. It's good but they are kind of expensive compared to what most are use to paying for that type of food.

 

[gourimoko]

@King Stannis

The recipe could not be simpler.. It's just ground lamb (or lamb/beef 50/50), salt, pepper, light garlic powder, good amount of onion powder. Beat one egg and mix in. But where most people go wrong is they end up looking for a meatloaf consistency with the gyro meat, and that's completely wrong.

If you've ever made your own links or hot dogs, THAT is the consistency you want; almost an emulsified meat paste that is very tacky. Basically the exact opposite of how you would want a meatloaf or a hamburger since to get this consistency you need to effectively WHIP the meat continually making it tougher and firmer. Terrible for hamburgers but it's the secret to a snappy good link AND an absolute must for good gyro meat.

That's really the #1 thing here..

Oh, ALSO .. do NOT use real onions, minced or diced, or large granulated onion; do not use real garlic, large granulated garlic, or minced dried garlic ... We tried all of that, and the loaf texture is simply much better and more authentic with onion powder vs actual onions. So use the cheap (but in this case preferable) garlic and onion *powder* .. seems weird but you'll realize why if you try any other way and compare.

I personally love Greek food, and I think our gyros our some of the absolute best I've ever had, period. Also if you can't find proper Greek flatbread pita, check your local Kosher/Jewish market as they sell a reasonable facsimile that has terrible shelf life but if heated will serve the same purpose.

 

[Sebastian]

I’ve been smoking a lot lately for my wife and friends. Even my 4 year old has been enjoying it.

Briskets, shoulders and ribs. I just can’t bring myself to fuck around with chicken and fish. Just not as fun.

I have never really cared for chicken. I must be the only person on Earth.

You must catch your salmon. And smoke it.

You would be too manly.

 

[inliner311]

@King Stannis

The recipe could not be simpler.. It's just ground lamb (or lamb/beef 50/50), salt, pepper, light garlic powder, good amount of onion powder. Beat one egg and mix in. But where most people go wrong is they end up looking for a meatloaf consistency with the gyro meat, and that's completely wrong.

If you've ever made your own links or hot dogs, THAT is the consistency you want; almost an emulsified meat paste that is very tacky. Basically the exact opposite of how you would want a meatloaf or a hamburger since to get this consistency you need to effectively WHIP the meat continually making it tougher and firmer. Terrible for hamburgers but it's the secret to a snappy good link AND an absolute must for good gyro meat.

That's really the #1 thing here..

Oh, ALSO .. do NOT use real onions, minced or diced, or large granulated onion; do not use real garlic, large granulated garlic, or minced dried garlic ... We tried all of that, and the loaf texture is simply much better and more authentic with onion powder vs actual onions. So use the cheap (but in this case preferable) garlic and onion *powder* .. seems weird but you'll realize why if you try any other way and compare.

I personally love Greek food, and I think our gyros our some of the absolute best I've ever had, period. Also if you can't find proper Greek flatbread pita, check your local Kosher/Jewish market as they sell a reasonable facsimile that has terrible shelf life but if heated will serve the same purpose.

When I've used real onions, I put them in the food processor first and get them down to almost a paste. Then I put them in a tea towel and ring it out to try get out as much moisture as possible. Then they go back in with the meat mixure in the food processor again.

For me the texture comes out more like I get at Anatolia Cafe than factory gyro meat every restaurant has.

Do you make the yogurt sauce too? I haven't found a real good version of it, what I make is pretty standard.

 

[gourimoko]

When I've used real onions, I put them in the food processor first and get them down to almost a paste. Then I put them in a tea towel and ring it out to try get out as much moisture as possible. Then they go back in with the meat mixure in the food processor again.

For me the texture comes out more like I get at Anatolia Cafe than factory gyro meat every restaurant has.

Yep, when I first started making gyros I did that as well... I know the texture you're talking about, and it is quite good; but to me, I'm actually going for that down-the-street gyro texture... For a more gourmet taste, I do get the idea of adding different textures.

Do you make the yogurt sauce too? I haven't found a real good version of it, what I make is pretty standard.

I don't actually like the yogurt sauce; never have.. lol.. Just had a gyro outside of Primm, Nevada yesterday and tried it just to be sure.. lmao.. still don't like the damn sauce.

 

[gourimoko]

I’ve been smoking a lot lately for my wife and friends. Even my 4 year old has been enjoying it.

Briskets, shoulders and ribs. I just can’t bring myself to fuck around with chicken and fish. Just not as fun.

I have never really cared for chicken. I must be the only person on Earth.

I find that fish should be cold smoked, IMHO. Smoking chicken is more for just adding a hint of flavor since the meat will cook pretty quick; I mean, thighs/legs will take less than an hour at 275.

What're you using for your smoker?

You must catch your salmon. And smoke it.

You would be too manly.

Masterbuilt Offset Smoker Addition is PERFECT for cold smoking salmon BTW...

 

[Sebastian]

My new toy came in. Finally.

Ordering from Williams-Sonoma online is a fucking pain. They screw up every other order.

 

[The Oi]

I find that fish should be cold smoked, IMHO. Smoking chicken is more for just adding a hint of flavor since the meat will cook pretty quick; I mean, thighs/legs will take less than an hour at 275.

What're you using for your smoker?



Masterbuilt Offset Smoker Addition is PERFECT for cold smoking salmon BTW...

Still use the Masterbuilt Electric we’ve discussed before. It hasnt died yet and does what it needs to do very well, so I havent ditched it. I’m very pleased with the results it’s given me on every piece of meat I’ve ever smoked on it. And there have been many.

The day that it does pass on, I will buy a nice offset just because that’s the way I really feel smoking should be done.

When my grill died, I considered a kamado and considering my wife likes to grill (and didnt want to piss around with the smaller space and the ventilating) and the smoker wasn’t dead yet...I just couldnt justify it.

And to be fair...I did forget to mention I’ve done chicken legs on this a half dozen times or so and did enjoy those along with a variety of different sauces we conjured up.

But unless someone else is making chicken...I really dont bother.

 

[Randolphkeys]

My new toy came in. Finally.

Ordering from Williams-Sonoma online is a fucking pain. They screw up every other order.

You are using it for coffee right? I'd like a product review.

 

[Sebastian]

You are using it for coffee right? I'd like a product review.

It is a spice grinder so it is a bit too small for coffee. It is the size of a large coffee mug.

I bought it because I needed a grinder in which I could combine spices rather than chopping them up. In the past I also emptied a pepper grinder but that is annoying and time consuming. This opens at the top very easily, one puts in the spices, grinds, pull out the tray and voilà.

I must say it works very well. Today I used it to make another rice pilaf for which I employed cumin, cardamon and a little fennel seed. Grinds it up like a champ and easy to clean afterward.

Highly recommended if you have need of multiple ground spices.