Souvlaki - Ground Beef and Lamb Lollipops Recipe

"The perfect meat for a Souvlaki or Greek sandwich wraps. These are good as is, served with the dip on the side; but I love them wrapped up in flat bread, which I prefer, or pita bread for a sandwich. Now, the secret to this recipe is for the meat mixture to marinate at least 3-4 hours to really develop the flavors. Then after making the lollipop skewers, they need to firm up in the refrigerator before grilling. I like to use the outdoor grill for the best flavor, but an indoor grill pan or oven will work. The tzatziki sauce is a bit different than the traditional version in that, I don't use cucumbers in the sauce, but I do add the cucumbers to the sandwich. Thin sliced red onions, tomatoes, olives and spinach are my favorites to add, but feel free to make it your own by adding red peppers, artichokes or even pickled onions."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Meat ... Add all the seasoning, herbs, olive oil, shallot, onion, garlic and mustard to a medium size bowl and mix well. Add the meats and mix by hand. DON'T over mix, it can cause the meat to become tough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator 3-4 hours.

Step 2

Sauce ... Add the yogurt to a small bowl along with the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, dill, mint and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours to get the best flavor.

Step 3

Lollipops ... Make sure that you have soaked your wooden skewers (I prefer the 6") in water for 30 minutes to 1 hr. Take the meat mixture and roll into a large golf ball shape. Then, stick the skewer into the meatball and press the meat around the skewer firmly, forming a oblong shape making sure the skewer goes all the way through (one end to the other) so the meat so the meat has something to hold on to. Add the lollipops to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil and press each skewer down slightly to flatten. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 or more. These can easily be made a day ahead.

Step 4

Grilling ... Remove your lollipops from the refrigerator and brush lightly with oil. Season your lollipops with salt and pepper and grill on each side until golden brown. They take about 4-5 minutes per side depending on the heat of your grill. If you are baking them, I keep them on the same baking sheet, season well, and bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to flip them half way through.

Step 5

Serve ... My version: I love to use flatbread warmed up a bit, spinach, onion and cucumber; next one of the lollipops or two, sauce and finish with olives. Another option - My friend cuts up her pita and makes a salad on her plate. NO right or wrong for this sandwich. ENJOY!

Tips

No special items needed.

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Misa

Oh, now this is heaven. I am reviewing strictly on the meat, as I used a different tzatziki sauce recipe. It tastes very similar to the gyro meat from my favorite deli. I made these in the oven, patting them out into 8 oblong patties. I did not use skewers because I forgot I had taken them to work for a science project with my students. I put the patties on a baking rack on a baking sheet, and they turned out well. Dinner had these lil' guys in a pita with tomato, feta, spinach-lettuce mix, and tzatziki sauce. Yum!