Greek Pork Gyros – Authentic Homemade Greek Gyros Recipe

Authentic Greek gyros recipe — pork shoulder and belly served in warm pita with tzatziki, tomatoes, and fries

Greek Pork Gyros – Authentic Homemade Greek Gyros Recipe

This authentic Greek gyros recipe uses pork shoulder and pork belly, brined overnight, marinated in olive oil, oregano, and sumac, then roasted on a vertical rotisserie until crispy and golden. Real cuts of pork, the way it’s made in Greece — not the döner-style ground-meat version.

Course Main

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 1 30

Brine 1

Servings

Calories 749kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Equipment

large baking pan
A vertical rotisserie
Rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

The meat

4 lbs pork shoulder cutlets
1 lb pork belly thinly sliced

For the brine

¼ cup sea salt
¼ cup brown sugar
1-2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
2-3 fresh herb sprigs Like sage and rosemary sprigs
3-4 cloves
4 garlic cloves crushed

For the marinade

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh herbs roughly chopped, like fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage

For serving

smoked paprika optional
lemon slices optional

Instructions

Brine the pork

For the brine, place the sugar, salt, in a sauce pan with a cup of water. Simmer on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until sugar and salt have dissolved.
Fill a large container or pot with the sugar-salt mixture and water. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, garlic, and herbs. Stir well. Place the pork in the brine. Make sure it is fully immersed and cover with water. Chill overnight.

Marinate

Remove the meat add dry the pieces well with a paper towel.
In a bowl, mix ½ cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon dry oregano, 1 tablespoon sumac, 2 teaspoons sea salt, roughly chopped, like fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage and some freshly ground pepper.
Place meat pieces in a pan and pour the marinade all over. Rub pieces with marinade. Let pork belly sit for 3 hours or overnight.

Roast

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Pierce the pork pieces on the vertical rotisserie. Add the pork belly slices between the cutlets.
Add half a lemon on top or half an onion. Place meat on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn pork around every 30 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Notes

ALTERNATIVE COOKING METHOD

You can bake the gyro inside parchment paper, like lamb kleftiko.

Use regular wooden skewers to pierce the pork cutlets and pork belly slices. Wrap the gyro in parchment paper, secure it tightly with some twine, and bake for one hour. Tear the parchment and place the gyro on a rimmed baking sheet to finish cooking. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the gyro every 10 minutes to ensure it becomes crispy and develops a nice color. You can also use your broiler for 2-3 minutes on each side to crisp it up.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

To serve on a platter: Slice the gyros thin and arrange on a platter with warm pita cut into pieces, sliced tomatoes, tzatziki, spicy whipped feta, olives, and lemon wedges for squeezing. Finish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

To make gyros pita: Brush a pita with olive oil and warm it on a cast-iron pan or in the oven. Lay some gyros shavings in the center, top with sliced tomatoes, onions, and a generous spoonful of tzatziki. Wrap and serve immediately. See our Greek souvlaki recipe for inspiration.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition