Gyro Loaves/Cones

I'm planning on having a Greek themed BBQ and wanted to have Gyros as one of the meat entrees. Aside from using rotisserie cooked lamb as gyro meat, I was wondering if gyro loaves/cones can be purchased by retail consumers and if so where?

Thanks!
JP

I can't help you with the rotisserie, except that Kronos supplies most of the city with the preformed cones (and, if I remember correctly, invented the darn thing).

Just don't back down and buy the pre-sliced stuff at supermarkets labeled "Gyros meat loaf." It's to gyros what turkey loaf is to a roast turkey. Much greasier, full of filler, and just plain doesn't taste good.

I haven't been able to find the gyro loaves or cones...perhaps I'm just not looking at the right stores. If all else fails I will just cook a marinated leg of lamb on my rotisserie grill.

I wonder if the people at a butcher shop like Nea Agora on Taylor Street (just east of the old projects, west of the restaurant 'Tuscany') might be able to help you. I believe they do all kinds of special orders but I haven't tried them myself.

A

The treasure island in Lincoln Park has a gyro cone running all the time that you can buy slices from. You may be able to get them to sell you one of their cones..

treasure island in Lincoln Park

Do you mean Old Town or Lakeview? I could be having a brain freeze, but I don't think that there is one in Lincoln Park.

I meant this one:

Treasure Island Food Mart
(773) 880-8880
2121 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614

It's right across the street from Dirk's.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!...I'll look into the places and report back.

I meant this one:

Treasure Island Food Mart
(773) 880-8880
2121 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614

It's right across the street from Dirk's.

Yep, brain freeze.

Real Gyros is roast lamb, marinated, seasoned and crisped up. There was a place in Naperville, called Mythos, that served them. That also made Kronos Gyros seem like turkey loaf.

You might look for a recipe for real Gyros and give your guests a real treat.

Here is a reasonable sounding recipe for a ground lamb gyros, though I have not tried it: http://www.absoluterecipes.com/international-rec/lamb-gyros.html

And here is a recipe (Emeril's, I am sorry to say) for "real" gyros: http://www.foodtv.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_19507,00.html

Sounds pretty easy, so I think I will put it on my to do list after I complete the barbecue training.

I am sure either of these will be worlds better than Kronos.

I have a rotisserie attachment for my Weber and have grilled a marinated leg of lamb over hard wood charcoal before...just wanted to see if the restaurant style gyro loaves were available. I have several friends who really don't like the taste of lamb. Thanks for the suggestions though!

Kronos' website is http://www.kronosproducts.com/
They look like they primarily sell to restaurants, but they have contact info, perhaps they can direct you to someone who'll sell the Gyrokone and rent you the Kronomatic.

Don't forget home made Tzatziki sauce!

Your commercial choices include
http://www.kronosproducts.com
http://www.greciandelight.com
but they look like wholesale only. then you gotta rent a vertical roaster.

I remember years ago someone selling mini gyros cones that you could do at home, but can't remember who it was. Looks like your easy choices are home-made gyros meat or visiting your favorite gyros place and asking the owner for advice.

Bump for this thread:

1) Is all gyro meat sold in Chicago pretty much from the same distributor (large factory)?

2) Where's the best place to buy gyro meat in terms of quality (if it does vary) and by price?

I've seen it for sale by the pound from the deli at Valle Produce in Arlington Heights. Where do you buy it? Or do you make your own a la Alton Brown?

This thread for wholesale:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... =gyro+meat

I always kinda wondered the same thing (if all the gyro meat comes from the same big factory). It sure seems like it as I only seem to see Kronos at every gyro place. They all use the same cone/spit cooking device.

If so, is there really THAT much difference between most gyros? I understand that crisping up the meat and the type of pita/sauce make a difference. But when it comes down to it, the meat's all the same. While I've had good and mediocre gyros, there sure doesn't seem to be a huge difference b/w them to me.

Without the vertical spit, there is absolutley no way one can make gyros to equal doing it that way. A horizontal spit deosn't work because the ground lamb spice mixture will not adhere. The stuff you can purchase frozen or otherwise is junk!
But, one can make a passable product at home. You need top quality lamb. not pre ground. Grind yourself using whatever spice mixture you like. Pre-cook a bit of the mixture and taste, noting that you always require more seasoning than you think, sort of like a pate.
Put into bread loaf pans and cook in your oven. Cool and slice. Now, you need a griddle and olive oil as well as home made pita bread and sauce, all of which you can make much better yourself than any you can purchase.
Heat up your griddle, coat with olive oil and brown your sliced gyros. Works better than anything out side of Greek Town.-Dick

I never had a gyros when I was in Greece, I was too busy scarfing down as many of the ubiquitous and cheap souvlakia mi pita I could find. What I did see was vertical spits layered with slices of marinated lamb or chicken breasts and then crisped up and the edges sliced up and piled on a pita. I think marinating a leg of lamb, slicing it into largish pieces and layering them on a spit would do the trick just fine.

I know I for one would vastly prefer little pieces of succulent lamb with crisp cracklins' on the edges over the ground pressed stuff you find here.

HT70 wrote:I always kinda wondered the same thing (if all the gyro meat comes from the same big factory).

The thread Jay K mentioned lists some of the manufacturing outfits.

I've been several times to one of the listed plants and made a suprising observation. The familiar cone shape is not some artifact of the ancient gyros manufacturing process, it is actually a very intentional step. The meat mixture is pressed into a cylindrical canister and then forced from the container using compressed air. The cylinder is then placed by hand on an angled bandsaw platform and a large slab is cut forming the cone. The slab is tossed back into the extruder hopper. I'm not sure if this is to aid the cooking in some way or just the shape people have come to expect.

This thread is making me hungry. For you I shall ask my Safeserve instructor, life long Greek and many years restaurateur if something like this can be obtained.

For many years, Central was considered to be one of the best gyros makers until they were bought by Kronos in 1986. I think Athenian (one of my favorites) was bought by Grecian Delights, and is now their "premium" line. The thing to keep in mind is that every manufacturer makes several different grades and recipes of gyros which use different meat and filler mixtures and spicing. I think Devanco and Kronos each make at least 8 different types of gyros.

Out of curiosity I visited the Kronos site. Here are their gyro cone options. I always thought they were all "blam" (beef/lamb mixed w/ spices....the Grecian spam). anyway, I have the sinking suspicion that the 3am gyros of my younger days fell into the #4 category.

1)Premium Angus All Beef - Made with premium Angus Beef. Authentic Mediterranean Spices

2) Premium All Beef - Finest Quality All Beef Products. Authentic Mediterranean Spices

3) Traditional Beef and Lamb - Top Quality Beef and Lamb Products. Authentic Mediterranean Spices

4)Titan Beef and Lamb - Competitively Priced Beef and Lamb Products. Authentic Mediterranean Spices

5) Premium Chicken - Finest Quality All Chicken Products. Authentic Mediterranean Spices

6) Halal Brand Beef -Halal transactions certified Zabiha Halal

HT70 wrote:4)Titan Beef and Lamb - Competitively Priced Beef and Lamb Products. Authentic Mediterranean Spices

Do you think that would sell on a restaurant menu?

Would you like the competitively-priced Red Snapper Product.... er yes... sometimes it's known as tilapia...

There is an episode of Alton Browns' Good Eats that discusses doing your own Gyro on a BBQ rotisserie. While I have not yet tried it it does look very doable.

It's season 8 episode 20. I don't know if you can rent that or not. I really want to try this but honestly don't know when I'll be able. If anyone is seriously interested I could make a copy of the show for you.

I've bookmarked this thread and when I do get around to doing it I'll post the results with picture goodness.