Boolvo Souvlaki- Greek Grilled Beef

                  Boolvo Souvlaki,  Kolokithokeftedes and Loukoumathes


In Greece, pork is traditionally used for Soulvaki.
There are specific marinades that the Greek use, for each type of meat.
I'll be posting the pork version soon. This is not one of my favorite marinades, I'm not a big fan of rosemary, or using white wine in cooking. (red is great)
But everyone else seemed to love it.
My 3 year old grandson Zach, was very curious about what I was doing with the "pokeys" (skewers) as I was threading the beef. I explained I was going to cook steak on the grill. He ran to the other kids yelling, "Grama's makin' pokey steak!"

Ingredients:
2lbs. beef cut into large cubes
1 gallon storage bag
skewers

For the marinade:
1/4cup oil
1cup white wine
1tsp. minced garlic
1/8tsp. black pepper
1tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
1/2tsp. oregano
1/4tsp. rosemary
juice of 1 lemon

Preparation:
Whisk the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup for basting.
Add the beef and the remaining  marinade to the bag. remove the air, seal and refrigerate overnight.
If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for a few hours before grilling, to keep them from burning.Grill according to taste.

Kolokithokeftedes – Zucchini Fritters

                                   Kolokithokeftedes – Zucchini Fritters

With all the zucchini coming out of the garden, I've planned a few meals this week around that versatile veggie. Today it's a Greek themed meal with kolokithokeftedes,  Boolvo Souvlaki  and Loukoumathes .
This is based on an authentic recipe, but altered to make it puffier.
This is my favorite way to use zucchini. They are awesome served with a dollop of plain yogurt.

Ingredients:
4cups shredded zucchini
1/2cup whole green onions-chopped
1tsp. dried mint
1/2tsp. dried dill
2 eggs beaten
1 small container crumbled feta cheese (I have made this without feta, and they were still awesome)
1/2cup Parmesan cheese
1/2cup plain breadcrumbs
1Tbl. baking powder
2cups flour ( more if needed)
1tsp.salt
1/8 pepper
oil for frying

Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, onion, herbs, salt, pepper, eggs, and cheeses.
Add the flour, breadcrumbs and baking powder. Mix to combine. cover and refrigerate about an hour.

Heat about 1/2inch of oil in a skillet on medium heat. You want to cook these slowly or the center will be too moist.
Shape the mixture into small flat patties, add more flour if it's too moist. I test-fry  a small amount first, to make sure.
Fry, a few minutes on each side. (flip over when the bottom becomes golden brown, then brown the other side) Serve warm with a dollop of yogurt.

The fritter batter will have a moist consistency, but it firms and puffs in the oil.

Loukoumathes

Loukoumathes are little donut-like fritters, drizzled with a honey-lemon syrup, sprinkled with cinnamon.
This is a street food, sold by vendors in Greece, often served with yogurt.


Ingredients:
Oil for deep frying

For the fritters:
1package active dry yeast
2cups flour
1cup lukewarm water
1tsp. sugar
1/2tsp. salt

Honey-lemon syrup:
1/2cup honey
juice of 1 lemon

You will also need:
cinnamon

Preparation:

In a bowl combine all fritter ingredients, cover and leave in a warm place about 1-1/2 hrs.
Just before frying,  heat the honey and lemon in a saucepan, until it comes to a boil. Set aside
Heat the oil and drop in 1inch pieces of the dough. The dough is a bit sticky, so I spray cooking spray on my fingertips first.
Fry, turning every few seconds with tongs, until golden brown.
Once all the fritters have been fried, drizzle them with the syrup and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Best served warm.

                       Leave the batter in a warm place until it looks foamy.

Gringo Gyros- A search for the best method.

         Gringo Gyros- served Chicago Style with fresh chopped Thai-basil


I have tried maybe a dozen different recipes for homemade pitas.No luck.
I've decided the problem is the cook. I haven't given up though.
I have been sitting on this recipe for Gyros several years, waiting until the day when my pitas finally puff.
Finally I have decided to use flour tortillas, I really love those things. I'm always looking for an excuse to use them.
I made a few adjustments to the recipe I had. I did a little research before I began, and found a couple of different techniques I'll try. (kneading the loaf, baking in a water-bath and finishing one of the loaves on the grill) This makes a lot, but the lady who gave me the recipe, told me that you can freeze the leftovers.

Ingredients:
2lbs. ground lamb
2lbs. ground chuck
1cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2Tbl. minced garlic
1-1/2Tbl. oregano
1Tbl. basil
1Tbl. onion powder
1/2Tbl. red wine vinegar
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2tsp. cumin
1tsp.black pepper
1tbl. salt

You'll also need:
Flour tortillas
diced tomatoes
1 recipe Tzatziki sauce
Fresh chopped basil- I prefer Thai basil

 Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350*
 Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Knead for at least 5 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In a metal baking pan, shape into elongated loaves, about 3inches high.
Place the baking pan inside a larger pan, fill the larger pan with water, until the smaller pan is 1/2 to 2/3 submersed.
Bake for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, remove the loaf pan from the water-bath and cool.
Heat the grill, setting it on a low flame, pre-heat to 300*
Place the loaves on the grill, (not directly on the flame) cook about 15 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes.
Cool completely before slicing.
Slice across the top of the loaf, I used a fillet knife, slicing as thin as possible.
Warm the tortillas on a griddle. Fill with the sliced loaves, Tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and basil.

            The first loaf I baked like a meatloaf, except longer and thinner.

I pulled it out after 1 hour 15 minutes, The juices were not clear but, I started to see signs of browning. I'll cool it, and finish it on the grill.

Water-bath method: The second loaf,  I decided to cook in a bundt pan, I don't know why... I just do these things sometimes. If it works out for the better, I'll call it a stroke of genius, if not... I'll blame it on hormones. I filled it enough to submerse 2/3 of the bundt pan.

Darn these hormones! Ok , apparently the bundt pan is not a good idea. It seems to attract gremlins, that steal chunks of Gyro loaves. But I think I do like the water bath method, I pulled this out after 2 hours. The juices ran clear, no browning and it looked really moist.

 The water-bath method, on the left, sliced beautifully, and had a pressed meat texture. the non water-bath method was grainier and crumbled quite a bit. For the sake of science, I put half of the water-bath loaf on the grill, to see if there was a change in flavor. I'm glad I did. A blind taste test on my family, decided that was the winner.

Normally, I prefer the thin, delicate Azteca brand tortillas, but if I want to come anywhere near the texture of a pita, I would have to use these big, fat, honkin' Mission brand. 16 of these babies, weighs in at 1-3/4 pounds. That's a lotta masa. Warm them in the microwave or on a griddle, before filling.

  Finally, It looks like; knead the loaf, refrigerate overnight, bake in a water-bath, grill on low for 15 minutes. They were really good.

Tzatziki Sauce

                                               Tzatziki Sauce


I like to make this several hours ahead of time to allow the flavors to blend.
3 cucumbers- peeled and grated (about 2cups)
1tsp. minced garlic
2Tbl. grated onion
1tsp.salt
pepper to taste
1cup yogurt

Preparation:
Add the cucumber garlic and onion to a bowl.
Mix to combine, then add salt and pepper.
Mix in the yogurt, until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed.