We ate them before we got a good picture to use! 😄
October is National Pork Month, and here at Clear 99, we’re celebrating pork in style!
Each year, the Missouri Pork Association gives us a cut of pork to inspire new dishes, and Scotty was inspired by his recent trip to Greece.
Gyros are often made with lamb, but all the restaurants I went to over there had pork gyros as an option. This is my take on it.
And yes, they serve their fries INSIDE the gyro! I just did some frozen fries in an air fryer for fun.
To be clear, this is not how the Greeks cook the pork. They use a vertical rotisserie, and the outer layers of the meat are very crispy. Here is a recipe that shows how to crisp up the pork. Because of limited kitchen capabilities at the station, I just did the pork the way I always do!
Pulled Pork
-Get a pork shoulder and rub the spice on it. I do it the night before, wrap it in plastic wrap and foil, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. I generally use Show-Me BBQ rub.
-I also keep a spray bottle filled with apple juice handy. Every 15 minutes or so I will spray the juice all over the meat to help keep it moist.
-After two or so hours I take the meat off of the grill, and put it in the slow cooker on low. I slice up an onion and line the bottom of the cooker, put the meat on the onions, and then put some slices on top too. I will also pour some beef stock in the bottom of the cooker, maybe some more apple juice too. I’ve also poured a can of Coke over the meat.
-Depending on your cooker, cook it for another 4-6 hours on low. You should be able to take it out of the cooker and grab a couple of forks, and start pulling it apart. I use one of those disposable aluminum pans, but you can do it right in the cooker where all of the juice is too.
Tzatziki Sauce
This is George’s recipe from Mykonos Farmers!
-300gr (10.5oz) of strained yogurt (greek yogurt)
-1 big cucumber
-2 cloves of garlic (or more if you like it stronger)
-Few drops of vinegar (I substituted lemon juice)
-1/4 bunch of dill finely chopped
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 pinch of salt
-pepper
Grate the cucumber with a cheese grater using the large blades. Squeeze the cucumber to release all juices. (I used a dish towel) Add cucumber to the yogurt. Again using the cheese grater, grate the garlic and add to the yogurt. Add some drops of vinegar, salt, pepper, olive oil and dill.
Serve with pita bread, cucumbers, carrots. Refrigerate until needed.
Then you are ready to build your gyro! Build it however you like, but the traditional gyro is a combination of warm pita bread, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and onion, usually red onion. Feta cheese, french fries and lettuce are often options as well.
There’s a lot to it, but it’s fun-time in the kitchen so give it a go and let us know what you think!