Cooking Light with Rachael Ray: Sliced Steak Gyros

Gyros are probably one of my favorite foods that I don't ever make. That doesn't really make a whole lotta sense, but sometimes I don't make a whole lotta sense. Maybe it's just a case of, "these are so good I don't want to mess 'em up with my lack of cultured culinary skills". Who knows?!? Anyway, when I think about my trip to the Taste of Atlanta back in October, the first thing that pops into my head out of all the things I ate that weekend, were the gyros. Maybe it's the Greek in me, but there is just something about this sandwich that is unlike any other sandwich out there. Whatever it is, I love it; which is why I was so excited to test out Rachael Ray's twist on this Greek classic with her Sliced Steak Gyros. Traditionally, a gyro is made with lamb, but using a sirloin is a nice variation...especially with the feta-infused yogurt sauce. YUM!


Oh...and in case you are wondering how to say "gyro", it is pronounced "yee-roh". Don't be embarrassed. I have said it incorrectly for years; trying out all the creative ways I could think up. Finally, I just got on YouTube and found a video to help me practice. You gotta love the Internet. I think I have it now!

SLICED STEAK GYROS
Serves 5

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound 1-inch-thick sirloin steak

1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Salt and pepper

1 cup REDUCED-FAT crumbled feta cheese

3/4 cup NON-FAT Greek-style yogurt

Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, grated

2 sprigs oregano, stems discarded, leaves chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 dashes hot pepper sauce

5 large WHOLE WHEAT pitas or flatbread (Suggested: Flatout Flatbread)

Toppings, such as thinly sliced cucumber, tomato and red onion; chopped chiles and kalamata olives; shredded romaine lettuce hearts; flat-leaf parsley leaves

4 lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat grill  or grill pan to medium. Drizzle the steak with the 1/2 tablespoon EVOO; season with tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, turning once, for medium-rare, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then thinly slice.

While the steak is cooking, using a food processor or blender, puree the feta, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander and hot sauce. Transfer into a bowl.

If desired, char the pitas or flatbread under the broiler or on the grill. Top with the steak and your choice of toppings. Serve with the lemon wedges and yogurt sauce.

RESULTS:

Sliced Steak Gyro on Flatout Flatbread.

I absolutely LOVED this recipe! Other than cooking the sirloin, there really isn't much to it. Just toss the ingredients in a blender or processor and let it do all the work. The secret to a great gyro is in the sauce, and this my friends, is an excellent sauce!

Two major changes I made with this recipe were in the number of servings it makes and in the amount of sirloin used. In the original recipe, two pounds of sirloin makes four gyros. That equates to 8 ounces of meat per gyro; twice the size of one meat serving. Way too much! Instead, one pound of sirloin can be split up to make five gyros. Fill the rest of the gyro by topping with vitamin-packed, low-cal toppings such as cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. Sometimes a little portion readjustment is all that is needed to make a recipe go from heavy to healthy.

In addition to these changes, simple substitutions were made with the yogurt, feta and bread choice; giving us the following savings per serving (before veggie toppings):

BEFORE: 574 calories;  22g fat;  31g carbohydrates;  61g protein 

AFTER: 298 calories;  11g fat;  19g carbohydrates;  37g protein

SAVED:  276 calories; 11g fat;   12g carbohydrates        
Want to try knocking off a little more fat? Try using grilled chicken breast instead of sirloin. A boneless/skinless chicken breast is very lean; averaging about 1 gram of fat per serving! Also, if you can find a fat-free Feta, this will also save around 3 grams of fat per serving.

ENJOY!