# Grilled Greek Lamb Pockets



## chilerelleno (Jul 14, 2018)

My thanks to Zippy for these,
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/middle-eastern-spiced-burgetr.277681/#post-1854123

Of course I had to try these, and my family is happy I did.
I even got my MiL to eat lamb and like it.... _Shocker!_
She loved them and the Tzatziki sauce too...
She's never had Tzatziki sauce she says...  
_"What the hell you say?!"_

So here we go.

*Grilled Greek Lamb Pockets with Tzatziki Sauce*

3lbs ground Lamb
1/2C each finely chopped fresh Parsley and Cilantro
3/4C finely chopped Green Onion
1.5C Feta cheese crumbles
1T EVOO
2T Cumin and Coriander
1T Salt and Black Pepper
Combine all and mix well












































Stuff into Pita Pocket bread
Fire up your grill, I used high direct heat
As you put them on the grill lightly brush with EVOO
Grill till golden on both sides
Serve piping hot with lots of Tzatziki sauce

*Tzatziki Sauce*
2 semi peeled (striped) and seeded English cucumbers
salt well and place in wire strainer over bowl and let the salt pull moisture out
after a hour place in cheesecloth or similar and squeeze liquid out
now finely minced the cucumbers or chop in blender

Combine the following in a bowl
2 parts Sour Cream, 2C
1 part plain Greek yogurt, 1C
3T garlic paste
juice of half a lemon, 3T approx
2t salt
2-4 T of fresh finely chopped Dill, Thyme or Mint
(choose one herb and add according to taste)

Mix all ingredients together, taste and adjust salt, lemon and herbs
Refrigerate for several hours for flavors to meld.







No money shot as I had to scramble to get mine as the horde descended on the Kitchen.


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## motocrash (Jul 14, 2018)

chilerelleno said:


> No money shot as I had to scramble to get mine as the horde descended on the Kitchen.


Pfft! All money shots...I swear you have a  mini tripod on your counter...


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## celticgladiator (Jul 14, 2018)

Looks great!  I love Greek food,  I might have to try this!


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## atomicsmoke (Jul 14, 2018)

Tasty idea.


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## drunkenmeatfist (Jul 14, 2018)

-So the raw meat goes into the pita? About how long does it take to cook through? I will definitely be trying this soon.


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## Court Slabaugh (Jul 14, 2018)

chilerelleno said:


> My thanks to Zippy for these,
> https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/middle-eastern-spiced-burgetr.277681/#post-1854123
> 
> Of course I had to try these, and my family is happy I did.
> ...


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## Court Slabaugh (Jul 14, 2018)

Looks Great, saving to make. Thanks Court, !!!


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## chilerelleno (Jul 14, 2018)

drunkenmeatfist said:


> -So the raw meat goes into the pita? About how long does it take to cook through? I will definitely be trying this soon.


Yep the meat goes in the pita, the pita goes on the grill and in about 5-10 minutes per side they should be good to go.
I just judged by the bread's color and the clear juices running out.

These were really good, do try them, highly recommended.


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## meatallica (Jul 14, 2018)

This is my next "must try"


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## gmc2003 (Jul 14, 2018)

Another fine plate of food, Nice job.

Point for sure.

Chris


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## chilerelleno (Jul 14, 2018)

motocrash said:


> Pfft! All money shots...I swear you have a  mini tripod on your counter...


LoL... Thanks man... No tripod


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## chilerelleno (Jul 14, 2018)

meatallica said:


> This is my next "must try"


I'm glad I tried them, really tasty stuffed stuff.


gmc2003 said:


> Another fine plate of food, Nice job.
> 
> Point for sure.
> 
> Chris


Thanks Chris.


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## dls1 (Jul 15, 2018)

Nice job, Chile. That's pretty much identical to how I make and cook lamb stuffed pita except I use a much different spice mix, baharat. Good stuff isn't it?

You're tzatziki recipe is interesting, also. I've made what seems like tons of tzatziki in the past but I've never used sour cream. I'll have to give it a try sometime.

Like!


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

@zippy12 
Thanks again for posting these.
Dude these are the bomb the next day when the spices have melded together.
A few minutes under the broiler crisped the pita bread.


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

dls1 said:


> Nice job, Chile. That's pretty much identical to how I make and cook lamb stuffed pita except I use a much different spice mix, baharat. Good stuff isn't it?
> 
> You're tzatziki recipe is interesting, also. I've made what seems like tons of tzatziki in the past but I've never used sour cream. I'll have to give it a try sometime.
> 
> Like!


Thanks and yes,
wonderful sammies, really delicious, I love lamb and don't get it often enough.
That tzatziki recipe was one I found, it's good, but could stand some tweaks.
I think it needs more garlic, and while I like the sour cream maybe it should be a 1:1 sour cream to yogurt ratio


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## SmokinAl (Jul 15, 2018)

I bookmarked this, cause that is definitely something I love & will make in the future!
Thanks for posting it.
Al


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## TomKnollRFV (Jul 15, 2018)

Chile The list of things I want to try is going up faster then I get around to trying them! Here's another on the list!


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## ab canuck (Jul 15, 2018)

Point!!! I mean YUMMM!!!! Definitely going to save this one, wife is a big fan of lamb so it never hurts to get some brownie points.... lol


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> I bookmarked this, cause that is definitely something I love & will make in the future!
> Thanks for posting it.
> Al


The family and I just finished these off.
Danged good stuff Bro, don't put'em off too long.


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> Chile The list of things I want to try is going up faster then I get around to trying them! Here's another on the list!


Hah!  That ain't no joke Tom, I've half a dozen recipes or more that I wanna try.


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## dls1 (Jul 15, 2018)

chilerelleno said:


> Thanks and yes,
> wonderful sammies, really delicious, I love lamb and don't get it often enough.
> That tzatziki recipe was one I found, it's good, but could stand some tweaks.
> I think it needs more garlic, and while I like the sour cream maybe it should be a 1:1 sour cream to yogurt ratio



I checked my tzatziki file and in addition to my "Go To" recipe there's another half dozen tzatziki recipes, all of which I would consider authentically Greek, and none called for sour cream or lemon juice. Not surprisingly, all recipes called for the same ingredients: Full fat Greek yogurt (strained), seedless cucumber (grated), garlic, white wine vinegar, EVOO, dill or mint, S&P. The only difference in the recipes was the volumes of each ingredient used. Also, I assume that the lemon juice might be considered a substitute for the vinegar.

Sounds like the recipe you found was someones Americanized version of the dish. Not bad, but not the real thing.

I agree with you on the 1:1 sour cream to yogurt recipe. A ratio of 2:1 sounds like overkill to me.


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## TomKnollRFV (Jul 15, 2018)

chilerelleno said:


> Hah!  That ain't no joke Tom, I've half a dozen recipes or more that I wanna try.


Such is the life of a cook!


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

dls1 said:


> I checked my tzatziki file and in addition to my "Go To" recipe there's another half dozen tzatziki recipes, all of which I would consider authentically Greek, and none called for sour cream or lemon juice. Not surprisingly, all recipes called for the same ingredients: Full fat Greek yogurt (strained), seedless cucumber (grated), garlic, white wine vinegar, EVOO, dill or mint, S&P. The only difference in the recipes was the volumes of each ingredient used. Also, I assume that the lemon juice might be considered a substitute for the vinegar.
> 
> Sounds like the recipe you found was someones Americanized version of the dish. Not bad, but not the real thing.
> 
> I agree with you on the 1:1 sour cream to yogurt recipe. A ratio of 2:1 sounds like overkill to me.


Yeah, I knew it was a bastardized version, but it suited what I had on hand.
Heck, I corrupted it even more by adding in some crushed red pepper today.

Wanna share your _'Go To'_ tzatziki recipe?


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

ab canuck said:


> Point!!! I mean YUMMM!!!! Definitely going to save this one, wife is a big fan of lamb so it never hurts to get some brownie points.... lol


Thanks for the Point Charlie.
I hear ya on keeping the wife smiling... Happy wife, Happy Life.


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> Such is the life of a cook!


Yep.


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## dls1 (Jul 15, 2018)

chilerelleno said:


> Yeah, I knew it was a bastardized version, but it suited what I had on hand.
> Heck, I corrupted it even more by adding in some crushed red pepper today.
> 
> Wanna share your _'Go To'_ tzatziki recipe?



Glad to share. The ingredients that I use are really no different than the ingredients in any other traditional tzatziki recipe. It's just the ratios (which can be easily scaled) and process that I've developed over time, and prefer. See below,

Authentic Greek Tzatziki

Ingredients

1 large English seedless cucumber, or 2 smaller cucumbers, unpeeled
1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1½ cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt, strained (see notes)
2-3 large garlic cloves, very finely minced (see notes)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Minced fresh dill (or mint), to taste
Instructions

Grate the cucumber on the medium blades of a box grater.
Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth, place strainer over a bowl, and add grated cucumber. Sprinkle with salt, stir to combine, and refrigerate overnight to drain.
Combine the yogurt, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the grated cucumber from the strainer, squeeze to remove any residual water, and transfer the cucumber and fresh dill (or mint) to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Chill 3-4 hours, if not longer, taste and adjust with vinegar, salt, or pepper, if needed, and serve chilled with pita bread for dipping.
Notes:

·        All full fat Greek yogurts are assumed to be “strained” however, some are more/less strained than others. I recommend initially pouring the yogurt into a cheesecloth lined fine mesh strainer over a bowl to remove any excess free flowing liquid, then proceed.

·        I much prefer Greek yogurt made from goat’s milk as it is thicker and has a much richer taste than yogurt made with cow’s milk. That said, I have very easy access to goat’s milk yogurt, and others may not. If you can find goat’s milk yogurt, go for it. If not, proceed with cow’s milk yogurt.

·        To remove the taste of raw garlic that some may find off putting, “confit” the garlic for 30 minutes.


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

Thank you, will be saving that for future use.


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## WillRunForQue (Jul 15, 2018)

Interesting process, I wouldn't have initially considered using uncooked meat but looks like it was a great result!  I'm sure that kept it from drying out.  Very cool!


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## zippy12 (Jul 15, 2018)

Chile

Glad I could inspire!  Been away at the father in laws wife funeral so I was not able to participate much in this, but it loos awesome!

Yes this stuff is better after a day or 2 in the fridge then cook.


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

i6quer said:


> Interesting process, I wouldn't have initially considered using uncooked meat but looks like it was a great result!  I'm sure that kept it from drying out.  Very cool!


Yeah, but that'd be just another stuffed Pita sammie.
This is cooler cause we get to grill it.


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## chilerelleno (Jul 15, 2018)

zippy12 said:


> Chile
> 
> Glad I could inspire!  Been away at the father in laws wife funeral so I was not able to participate much in this, but it loos awesome!
> 
> Yes this stuff is better after a day or 2 in the fridge then cook.


This is one of the great things about this forum, sharing recipes.


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jul 18, 2018)

I almost missed this! Those look great! I'm definitely making these!


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## bluewhisper (Jul 19, 2018)

As it happens, right now in my gardens the dill, parsley and mint are thriving. No luck on the garlic, though.

Somehow a craving for this kind of food hit me about ten years ago. Bring me rosemary.

I visit a middle eastern store (Al Safa) and there I saw them grinding beef to order, to make koefta.  They were putting bunches of parsley into the grinder along with the meat, and that was a lesson to me.

Hmm. Tomorrow is Friday, the best day of the week to shop for lamb there.


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