I once heard someone say, “I could be a vegetarian except for the occasional order of chicken fingers.” I think I would modify that statement for steak, but possibly beef in general. Don’t get me wrong, I love vegetarian dishes (as the significant number on this site will attest) as well as chicken, pork, and fish. And I’m a big advocate for healthy food. But a steak or a delicious burger just hits the spot sometimes, you know?
When I first moved to Chicago, I lived near Greektown. My classmates and I occasionally got gyros. They got them as great food for a hangover. I got them because it hit all those wonderful notes of a great burger and then some. But they were grease bombs, and we knew it. Lots of napkins were required, and not in a good way.
This sandwich gives you that juicy, beefy flavor without a ton of grease or guilt. I know traditional gyros are made with lamb, but I love this flank steak version. And I could eat the condiments for this completely on their own. Enjoy!
Gyros (Makes about 4 sandwiches)
1 pound flank steak
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
½ peeled cucumber, shredded (about ¾ cup)
1 (5 ounce) container nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
½ cup chopped fresh dill, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 whole wheat flatbreads or pitas
2 roma tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle steak with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powered, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Let meat rest and come to room temperature before grilling. Place on grill and cook for about 10 minutes, turning after 6 minutes. For medium-rare to medium, cook to 145 degrees. Let meat rest for 5 minutes off of grill. Slice diagonally against the grain into thin slices.
3. While meat is cooking, squeeze shredded cucumber between towels to remove excess moisture. Combine cucumber, yogurt, remaining salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of fresh dill and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
4. Toss onion, oil, remaining lemon juice, and remaining dill together. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
5. Divide steak evenly between pitas, topping with cucumber sauce, onion, and sliced tomatoes.
Nutritional Information (Amount per Sandwich):
Calories: 313
Protein: 32 g
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 80 mg
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 499 mg
Recipe Notes: I forgot to buy gas for my outdoor grill and do not own a grill pan. I cooked the steak on a griddle set at about 350-400. Even if you are normally a well-done kind of person with steak, flank steak is not the time for well done. A solid medium is as far as I would take it, otherwise it gets VERY tough and chewy. Don’t be afraid of the fresh dill. It is not my favorite herb, and I usually find it overpowering. In here, it is just delightful. Promise.
Recipe source: only slightly adapted from Cooking Light
I made these last night and I was blown away by how good they are! A couple of thoughts: first, I used dried dill (sorry, too cheap to buy fresh just for one recipe), but I thought everything still tasted fine; and second, I toasted the flatbread with a little bit of olive oil in a skillet. I had never cooked flank steak before and I was a bit worried about overcooking it (because I’ve heard so many times that it really shouldn’t be cooked past medium). Your method worked perfectly–I let it sit out until room temperature and then did ten minutes on a grill pan (6 minutes one side, 4 on the other). Beautiful. I was also wondering whether I would miss the lamb, but I thought the flank steak was a great alternative. This will definitely be moving into my regular meal rotation.
I’m so glad you liked it! I usually do the same with dill, since I don’t usually care too much for it.
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