I recently watched an eposidoe of Diner’s Drive-Ins and Divews, where Donair from the East Coast of Canada. In the 1970’s, a Greek restaurateur in the city of Halifax introduced the Donair. Within a few short years, virtually all pizzerias had added their version of the dish to their menus. Not to be confused with gyros, the Donair has a vastly different flavor. Originally the dish was made with ground lamb, but this proved too costly and ground beef was later substituted. Technically, this resulted in an aberration of sorts, as the final product was not what the originator had intended. What resulted, however, is the legendary East Coast Donair. And the usual tatzki sauce of the gyro is made with evaporated milk, sugar and vinegar.
This is awesome, as you make the “gyro meat” as meat loaf, then simply slice and reheat by frying to serve. Also, we like to make it ground venison, as our daughter also keeps our freezer full of deer meat.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or venison
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 chopped poblano chile
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar, or to taste
- 6 large pita bread rounds
Directions
- In a bowl, thoroughly mix together the ground beef, black pepper, chopped chile, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Pack the spiced meat into a thick loaf shape, cover, and let rest in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Place the meat loaf onto a baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour, flipping the loaf over halfway through cooking. Allow the meat loaf to cool so it holds together for slicing.
- Mix together the evaporated milk and white sugar in a bowl, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and then add the vinegar by teaspoons, mixing together after each addition, to taste. Refrigerate the sauce until serving. [some recipes omit the vinegar and add garlic powder.]
- Slice the meat loaf into 1/4-inch thick slices, and brown the slices in a skillet over medium heat until both sides are brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side.
- Sprinkle the pita bread rounds with a little water, and press each onto a heated skillet to warm up.
- To serve, place several slices of meat into a warmed pita bread, and spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce over the meat. Roll the pita bread into a cone shape, wrap in aluminum foil to keep the sauce from dripping out, and serve.
