It is probably just the algorithm on my phone, but a very interesting version of a doner (pronounced dӧnner) meat recipe seems to be popping up all over social media. Since we are huge fans of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cuisine, I decided to give it a try and the results were a delicious and pretty easy dinner.
My son has a standing gyro order at Keifer’s. Every time he is home, it is his first stop, and we eat there often. The doner, and its better-known cousin, the gyro, appear to be almost identical to one another. Simply put, the only differences may be a few ingredients (meat type and slight variations of the spices used) and which region the recipe originated.
The doner kebab is Turkish and gets its name from the word “doner” which means a turning grill or roasting on a vertical skewer. It is traditionally made with a combination of lamb, beef, or chicken. The Greek version is a gyro and the Arab version is called Shawarma. They all have meat and seasoning variations, but each is delicious and cooked in a similar way. This on-line recipe was interesting and since I do not have a large, turning vertical grill at my disposal, I decided to give it a try.
Baked Doner Meat
1 pound extra lean ground beef (you can use 1/2 beef and 1/2 ground lamb)
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt or sour cream
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon of dried chili flakes if you would like to make it a little spicy
In the bowl of a food processor, add yogurt, olive oil, onions, garlic, and the spices. Blend until a smooth paste is formed. Add the meat and process that until it makes a smooth paste and it has a baby food consistency.
Place in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. This allows the flavors to more fully develop.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375°. Take a 12 x 16” piece of parchment paper and place on a flat surface. Scoop about one cup of the meat mixture onto the parchment paper and cover with an additional piece of parchment paper.
Using a rolling pin, flatten out the mixture until it is completely flat and thin, pushing and rolling to cover the entire piece of parchment. Remove top layer of parchment. Roll up bottom layer of parchment and meat in a jelly roll fashion.
Lay rolled parchment on a baking sheet. Repeat the process using additional parchment paper until all the meat mixture is used. Bake parchment meat rolls in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes.
When the meat is finished baking, carefully, using tongs, if necessary, lift up the paper, allowing the meat to fall on the baking sheet. The meat will look almost like shaved kebab meat that we get at our local Mediterranean restaurant.
If desired, after removing meat from the parchment paper, turn on broiler and allow meat to brown and develop some crisp edges.
Serve on flat bread with garlic dip, chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and onion or on top of a bed of lettuce.
Yogurt Garlic Dip
Turkish yogurt dip is similar to tzatziki sauce but does not have any cucumber or dill. This dip is a great topping for the doner meat.
1 cup plain Greek style yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
The juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves (peeled)
Pepper
Using the side of a kitchen knife or a mortar and pestle, mash the salt and garlic into a smooth paste. Combine with the yogurt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add a tablespoon of water to thin the sauce if needed.
Season with pepper and additional salt if needed.
Middle Eastern Salad
2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks (seeds removed if needed)
1 container grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 red onion, finely sliced or chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
About 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon oregano
Mix all ingredients and allow to marinate for at least two hours.
Turkish Grape Salad
My father was stationed in Izmir, Turkey for several years in the 1960’s, and this has always been an unexpectedly delicious dessert that my parents enjoyed while in that region.
You are going to have to trust me on this. It is absolutely delicious in an unexpected way. Fresh crunchy green grapes and coarse demerara sugar are very important to use. Regular brown sugar just melts away before serving.
1-pound medium sized firm green grapes, washed, dried, and plucked from the stem
Approximately 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
Approximately 3 tablespoons coarse granulated brown sugar or demerara cane sugar
Toss the sour cream and grapes together and chill for several hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle with brown sugar.
You can also freeze grapes for a frostier option.
