Eating Greek food in restaurants day one

This week I I had a problem.I had no real time to cook. To more honest my boyfriend was visiting and he flat out refuses to eat anything I cook.Most Greek women would find this extremely offensive, but we have a rule; if he is to good to eat my cooking, then he can just take us out to eat. So I took this opportunity to really seek out affordable Greek cooking around me. I figured that it was just as important to research what Greek food is supposed to taste like as it is to make it. My food might come out tasting fantastic, but I grew up on really rich southern cuisine, I might have really different standards. So hand and in hand my boyfriend and I went into the city and tried to find what

Milwaukee is not really a major center of Greek culture. It has a decent sized Greek community, but nothing like what you would find in Chicago. That said, one of the major struggles this week for me was just finding Greek food. What Milwaukee does has is a ton of Gyro shops. (That's yeer-oh phonically, feel free to impress beautiful women and rich men with that.) What a gyro is in a nut shell is pork meat that has been highly seasoned and roasted on a spic, then rotated and cut (thus the name gyro or translated: rotated). The meat is then placed into a pita bread and filled with whatever toppings you desire. Normally the meat would be accompanied  with onions ,peppers ,tomato, and Tzatziki Sauce (cucumber sauce).

Did I mention that they are fantastically good? The mixture of the meat and the tzatziki always melts my heart. It’s a kind of warm comfort food that aways tends to cheer me up even on the coldest crappiest Milwaukee days. Even my boyfriend who has had bad experiences with Greek food and is thus weary, loved his and gobbled it up within minutes. The one problem with a Gyros is that they are messy. Most people try to eat a gyro like a burrito and end up with tzatziki all over them. Gyros are in fact meant to be eaten this way, you just have to wrap the foil around them first and accept the fact that yes you are going to be a little sloppy.

For our gyros we went to Apollo cafe on 1319 East Brady Street here in Milwaukee. The restaurant was ok, but I’m sure you can find a better gyro out there. Ours were a little dry and I had a feeling that there was probably better things on the menu that I could of picked. Milwaukee has ten thousand gyro shops in the city and you are bound to find one close to you that is just as good or better. If eating out is not for you, you can try to make your own gyro. I would honestly recommend against it unless gyros are your favorite thing as the meat is a little labor intensive. In any case here is a recipe for it.
This recipe like all the recipes on this blog was made by someone who knew what they are doing and not by myself. If you like to read the original recipe click here.

Homemade Greek Gyro Sandwich or Dinner

by  Nancy Gaifyllia

Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds of boneless pork loin, shoulder, or fresh ham white wine vinegar ---------- GREEK GYRO SEASONING MIXTURE 3 tablespoons of sea salt 1 1/2 teaspoons of sweet paprika 1/4 teaspoon of pepper 1/4 teaspoon of finely crushed (powdered) Greek oregano (rigani)

Preparation: In a small bowl combine paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano.

Make the Gyro Meat: Slice the meat against the grain as thinly as possible and pound with a meat mallet to less than 1/4-inch thick. In a flat-bottomed container, arrange one layer of slices, sprinkle liberally with seasoning mixture, then with a little vinegar. Spread the vinegar over the meat so that all pieces are moistened. Add layers, spices, and vinegar until all the meat has been marinated. Cover and refrigerate for 1/2 hour to 2 hours. Note: If there's any seasoning mix left over, store in an airtight jar and use again for gyro or as a rub for pork

To Make the Gyro Pita Wrap Sandwich: Brush the pita bread with olive oil and fry in a dry frying pan or grill for a few minutes until warmed and softened, not crisp. In the center of each pita: spread 1 heaping tablespoon of tzatziki add 2-3 slices of tomato add sliced onion to taste add gyro meat sprinkle with sea salt (to taste) and more sweet paprika top with french fries (optional) Twist the gyro sandwich in butcher's paper, parchment paper, or wax paper and serve.

To Make a Gyro Dinner: Serve the gyro meat with french fries, tomato and onion slices, and pita wedges or crusty Greek bread on the side. Note: This type of gyro can also be made with beef, lamb, or chicken.

"Homemade Greek Gyro Sandwich or Dinner - Make Greek Gyro at Home." Greek Food at About.com - Greek Food and Greek Recipes - Traditional and Modern Greek Cooking. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <http://greekfood.about.com/od/porkrecipes/r/mockporkgyro.htm>.