Gyro Sauce

A delectable sauce can make a whole lot of difference in the taste of particular food recipes. This holds true for gyros (or gyro), a traditional Greek food made from meat, onion and tomato. Indeed, serving gyro dish is not complete unless it is accompanied by tzatziki sauce, either drizzle over it or serve on the side. The typical Greek gyro or tzatziki sauce consists of strained yogurt, strained or pureed cucumber, garlic, flavorful herbs and seasoning spices. Here, we shall take a look at the various methods on how to make gyro sauce.

Easy Gyro Sauce

Ingredients

• 16 ounces plain yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber (peeled, seeded and finely chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• 5 to 6 mint leaves (finely minced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• A pinch kosher salt

Directions for Preparation

Scoop yogurt in a tea towel and gather the edges. In a bowl, adjust it in a suspending manner and allow to stand in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Remove yogurt and squeeze lightly to drain off most of the liquid part. For straining chopped cucumber, you can place in a muslin cloth and squeeze. Discard the drained liquid for both yogurt and cucumber. Take a medium size mixing bowl and combine all the ingredients - strained yogurt, strained cucumber, garlic, mint, olive oil, vinegar and salt. Stir well with a wooden spatula and your yummy gyro sauce is ready. Read more on Tzatziki Recipe.

Greek Gyro Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 ounces plain yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber (peeled, seeded and finely chopped)
• 2 peeled garlic cloves (finely minced)
• 2 tablespoons dill
• Juice of lemon
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• teaspoon white pepper

Directions for Preparation

Place chopped cucumber in a muslin cloth to soak up watery portion. You can squeeze to drain off as much liquid as possible. For yogurt too, drain excess water (if any). That way, you can make a thick tzatziki sauce for a yummy gyro recipe. Now, take a bowl and add drained yogurt, cucumber, minced garlic, dill, lemon juice, white sugar, salt and white pepper. Stir well the mixture. Put lid and chill the sauce in the refrigerator overnight. Next day, serve this thick, tasty sauce with gyro meat and pita bread. If case of any extra sauce, keep it refrigerated.

Cucumber Gyro Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large cucumber (peeled, seeded and grated)
• 6tablespoons sour cream
• 1tablespoon mayonnaise
• teaspoon garlic powder
• tablespoon lemon juice
• teaspoon dried dill(for seasoning)
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper

Directions for Preparation

Add chopped cucumber in colander, sprinkle with a dash of salt and allow to drain off excess liquid. Transfer cucumber into a clean cloth towel and squeeze gently. In a bowl, put the ingredients, namely, cucumber, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, lemon juice and dried dill. Stir in salt and pepper, and mix well. You can now serve gyro meat with this sauce. Or else, process in a mixer at low setting for making a smooth sauce. If time permits, refrigerate gyro sauce for 2-3 hours prior to serving.

Making a thick concoction is the key for yielding delicious gyro sauce. That is why, draining off excess liquid is the first preparatory step for all gyro sauce recipes. To prepare a different flavor sauce, try altering the ingredients. You can add chopped parsley, dill and other culinary herbs of your choice. Do not throw the leftover sauce, as you can store in the refrigerator and consume for up to one week. While serving, sprinkle with garnishing herbs.