Greek Taco

You are probably  thinking what I was when I saw the title of this recipe, "uh isn't that called a gyro?"  And you know what we would be right, but a gyro is pretty darn tasty,  This is a basically gyro except the lamb is in crumbles.  It was very tasty but I do prefer the more laborious gyro meat.  I have never been a fan of ground meat broken apart and cooked so I may be a bit biased.  I thought the meal was tasty and my husband, who has no such bias, loved it.  The one thing I found annoying, was the order of the instructions really should be reversed.  I had scanned it, but neglected to notice that the relish was to be made an hour ahead of time.  It all worked out as my husband was late coming home and I was waiting to cook the meat until he arrived, but really it should gone at the beginning so I am moving it;).

Greek Taco

Lamb
1 T  olive oil
2 lb ground lamb
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2    red onion,minced
1 t  dried oregano
4 ea garlic,minced
1 T  tomato paste
2 T  dry red wine
Feta Mint Tzatziki
1    English cucumber
Salt
1 c  whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 c  crumbled feta cheese
1 ea garlic,minced or pressed
2 T  minced fresh mint
Cucumber Tomato Relish
1 T  extra-virgin olive oil
1 T  red wine vinegar
2    firm tomatoes,seeded and diced
1    English cucumber,seeded and diced
1/2    red onion,diced
Freshly ground black pepper
Sandwich Build
4    non-pocket pitas,oiled and lightly griddled on each side


For the cucumber tomato relish: Toss the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes,
cucumbers and onions in a bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Cover and let sit at least 1 hour to marry the flavors.
For the lamb: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

For the tzatziki: Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater
and place in a fine-meshed strainer or cheese cloth fitted over a bowl.
Salt the cucumber and let sit 10 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess
moisture. Add the strained cucumber into a bowl with the yogurt, feta,
garlic and mint. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Add the lamb, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the meat
gets nice and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon,
remove the lamb and reserve. Lower the heat to medium and saute the
onions in the lamb juices until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano
and garlic and cook until fragrant. Season. Add the tomato paste and
cook until it caramelizes. Deglaze with the red wine and scrape any
bits up that have adhered to the pan. Add the lamb back in, stir and
set aside.

For the sandwich build: Schmear the tzatziki on the pitas, then place
on the lamb and top with cucumber tomato relish.