The Cretan cuisine:
the gyros (γύρος) Of Siphis

the gyros (in greek, γύρος), this typical Greek and Cretan dish that attracts so much (but much better, for my taste) the best known, from us, kebabs, proposed almost everywhere in Europe in European cities I've got to write previously (see article)  but I had always missed the time to document step by step preparation.
I now want to remedy presenting certainly not what I prepare myself but to Siphis, a pro!

Siphis (Peppino) prepares his gyros, along with other grills, at the Taverna Zorbas of Giorgioupolis, on the northwest coast of Crete.
I have been granted, by the owners of the restaurant and by him, to follow all the stages of the creation of this specialty.

And, to those who read me the opportunity to replicate it on a spit of home ...

Let's start first of all from the preparation of the meat; knowing work well with a knife (or arranging of a good butcher) is not necessary to use fine cuts: in this case are used the bacon and shoulder of pork.

The tacks after being separated from the rest of the meat will be good for a nice mixed grill; as well as the bone of the shoulder can be used to flavor the gravy of a stew preparation.

Now the meat is kneaded to obtain thin slices, possibly cutting it in the book, of fairly regular size.

Then follows the fundamental part to give the meat its particular aroma: marinating.
Siphis passes into the mixer (even the big glass of blender is fine) All the ingredients set out below and derives from them a cream that must be smooth (but not too much: it should not drain too much during cooking).
The meat should be passed, one slice at a time, in the marinade and then left to rest, all together, for ten / fifteen minutes.
The ingredients for the marinade (the quantities are not mentioned, are very dependent on personal taste and since ...):

(I personally also add a tomato and an onion, both for the texture as well as taste)

At this point you take the spit, with a support for the base so that the meat does not slide down, and you start to put the slices of meat on top of each other trying to get a shape as smooth as possible.

The spit should be placed near the fire that will not be very warm though: the meat should cook for two to three hours without burning.

Only towards the end of cooking, the flame must be strengthened to make the outside of the gyros slightly crisp but never allowing the meat to become hard and scorched.

At this point, while the spit continues to rotate, it is lightly approached with the blade of a sharp knife to cut off the most superficial part of the gyros, letting it fall on a tray placed under the spit.

The meat is then wrapped in well-heated on the grill bread, accompanied by tzatiki, Peppers and raw onions and, just like that, with some french fries.

Buon appetito!

ADVICES AND NOTES:

• The gyros in addition to being consumed in the typical foil, can be presented in good amount in the pot, as a meal; of course accompanied by pita bread and all the necessary ingredients for confezionarsi, if desired, also the typical bundle!
  
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• For home cooking you can easily use the horizontal spit; soon, demonstration from my terrace!
• Articles on gyros: The marinade gyros (γύρος) and souvlaki (σουβλάκι), Gyros Pita (γύρος πίτα) the good, the recycling kitchen, In Greece, the gyros (γύρος).

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