Citrus Infused Elk Gyros

Published in BUGLE Magazine – Carnivores Kitchen – May/June

A classic Greek Gyro is made from pieces of meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie and slowly cooked using indirect heat. Once the meat exterior is crispy, pieces are then shaven off and used to fill flatbreads folded up with other accompanying ingredients such as potato fries, fresh onions, crispy cucumbers, tomatoes and a yogurt sauce called Tzatziki.

Now my version of the Gyro has just a few simple modifications from the classic style. See traditionally the hand-held sandwiches are filled with slow roasted pork, chicken, beef, veal or lamb, but game meat, such as Elk, makes for a perfect protein substitute.

I also marinate the elk in a mild citrus marinade before searing on a hot flat-top grill (griddle). Using the flat-top grill allows me to not only brown the elk in minutes, but I can also cook the potato-fries as well as warm the flatbreads all in one place. It’s a time saver for those who don’t have a vertical rotisserie readily available.

You’re family and friends will be impressed with the mild citrus flavor of the elk and potato-fries all wrapped up in a warm flatbread and topped with sliced red onion, crisp cucumbers, feta cheese and an easy to make tangy yogurt sauce.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds boneless elk, thinly sliced
• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 red onion
• 1 cucumber
• ½ cup Feta cheese, crumbled
• 8 flatbreads or pitas

Citrus Marinade

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup juice from a lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced

Yogurt Sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready.

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped

Preparation

Cut the elk meat into thinly sliced strips and set aside in a large bowl. Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and pour 3/4 over the elk meat, reserving the rest for seasoning the potatoes. Let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to an hour.

While the meat is marinating, cut the potatoes in half and thinly slice into fry sized portions. Cut the red onion in half and thinly slice. Cut the cucumber into thin rounds and set aside.

Heat a flat top grill (griddle) over medium heat and brush with oil. Add the sliced potatoes to grill and season with the remaining citrus marinade. Continue cooking until the potatoes are softened and slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Move the potatoes to the side of the grill and add the elk meat to the griddle cooking quickly, about 4-5 minutes. Make room on the griddle and warm the flatbreads removing when done.

Serve each flatbread with the citrus infused elk, potato-fries, sliced red onion, cucumber rounds, feta cheese and dollop of yogurt sauce.