Ziggy Lamb Gyros (Yiros)

Cooking a lamb rotisserie at home and serving up a homemade gyros (Yiros) to friends and family just got a whole lot easier! My Ziggy Triple Grill BBQ creates succulent lamb that is juicy and tender every time using the rotisserie accessory. My recipe can be used on a gas or charcoal BBQ but I recommend trying it on gas until you’re comfortable with this method of cooking. Allow up to 3 hours for the lamb to cook and then gather those you love to feast on your lamb masterpiece. It’s that simple!

Ingredients

2kg deboned lamb leg
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground sweet paprika
1 lemon (juice only)
Basting mixture
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 lemon (juice only)

Method

1. Slice the deboned lamb leg in approximately 2 cm slices. Arrange the slices in a tray.
   
2. To prepare the marinade - add olive oil, salt, cracked pepper, garlic, dried oregano, cumin and sweet paprika in a bowl. Combine all ingredients well.
3. Pour the marinade over the slices of lamb and coat well. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. Prepare the Ziggy Triple or Elite BBQ for rotisserie cooking without the rod (skewer) attached and preheat. Turn all burners to low.
5. Thread the lamb onto the rod by pushing the sliced lamb through the point end and onto one of the prongs. Push the meat firmly down through the rod so the weight is evenly distributed. If any pieces are dangling, tuck them in.
   
6. Place the rod with the threaded lamb in the centre of the BBQ, as high as you can place it.
7. Add a foil boat (two pieces of heavy duty aluminium foil tucked up the edges to resemble a boat) on top of the grill grate, directly under the lamb. Do this for the first 30 minutes to collect any excess marinade and prevent flare ups. Remove it with heat resistant BBQ gloves.
   
8. Baste the lamb every 30 mins and cook the lamb for 2.5 hours. Carefully slice the lamb with a knife as it’s turning or wait until it’s cooked to an internal temperature of 145f (63c). Then remove the rod from the rotisserie using heat resistant BBQ gloves and slice on a chopping board.

Serve with homemade tzatziki and pita bread filled with chopped tomatoes, lettuce and thinly sliced Spanish onion.

Tips:

• Don’t slice the lamb too thick initially or it will take longer to cook.
• Ensure you marinate the lamb for at least 4 hours or overnight so it can take on the flavours of the marinade.
• Have heat resistant gloves on hand to handle the rotisserie rod (skewer). It gets hot!
• Use the foil boat as per the recipe in the first 30 minutes to catch any excess marinade. This will eliminate flare ups and you’ll have less to clean up on your grill grate.
• Baste the lamb every 30 minutes to keep it moist but allow for the lamb to also build a crust.
• Allow at least 2 – 3 hours for the lamb to cook. Don’t rush a lamb cooked on a rotisserie.