This recipe was inspired by a Chef John video. It inspired me to make the gyro mix as a base, which I freeze in large flat zip-top bags.
Mechanic
This is sausage-making technique applied to a gyro spice blend; see the Gyro base Mechanic for how the cold water and panade emulsify the meat. That emulsion is what gives the dogs their snap and lets them hold a hot-dog shape on the grill instead of falling apart like a loose burger. Skipping the chill or under-mixing gives a crumbly result.
Dogs
- 1 batch Gyro base (about 1 kg)
Make the gyro base, then weigh it and divide it into 8 equal portions, about 125 g each. Roll each portion on plastic wrap into an 18 cm (7 in) log with damp fingers, then twist the ends of the wrap to hold the shape.
Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Swicy glaze
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Garlic sauce
- 250 ml (1 cup) Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 30–60 ml (2–4 tbsp) water, to adjust thickness
Stir the garlic sauce ingredients together, thinning with water until pourable. Refrigerate until needed.
Grill and assemble
- 8 hot dog buns
- 12 cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 125 ml (½ cup) cucumber, diced
- 125 ml (½ cup) red onion, thinly sliced
Heat a grill to medium-high. Grill the dogs, turning every 2 minutes, until firm and springy to the touch, about 8 minutes. Brush with glaze, flip, brush the other side, and repeat every 30 seconds until the glaze is used up and the centre reaches 71°C (160°F).
Spread garlic sauce inside the buns and add the dogs, then the tomatoes, more garlic sauce, red onion, and cucumber.
Notes
- Cayenne shows up twice, once in the meat mix and again in the glaze. That’s intentional: it builds heat in two layers rather than front-loading it.
- The panade (bread crumbs plus cold water) is what lets this work in a normal kitchen without a meat grinder or casings.