Served with Feta, fresh veggies and Tzatziki
I love grass-fed beef. Always a regular buyer of Laura’s Lean Beef (ground, grass-fed, 92%) for years, when the company asks for a review, I give it–gladly. In fact, this isn’t my first waltz with Laura’s Lean Ground Beef (read my review from 2010 here).
The flavor, texture and behavioral of the omega-3 rich, grass-fed protein has hooked even our picky eaters. We ask them if they want to pick up at a burger joint, and they ask for Dad to grill burgers. We ask the kids if they’d like tacos, and they ask for grass-fed, grilled burgers. We offer them dinner while we’re out shopping, and they ask to go home and grill grass-fed burgers.
Are you catching the theme here? It’s 10 degrees outside in Colorado with icicles hanging off of the grill and the kids still want Dad to put his boots on, head outside, knock the icicles from the grill and make burgers.
It cooks up nicely and slices like a dream.
I’ll admit that sometimes I need a deviation from standard hamburgers, however.
Why not use my grass-fed beef than to make one of my favorites–gyros? Of course, gyros are typically made from lamb (see my recipe here), but I say throw caution to the wind a little bit (make sure you’re standing upwind) and just say Opa! to delicious Greek food and Nope-a! to making the hubster go outside in a blizzard to make burgers.
Proof your loaf doesn’t have to look beautiful to create a satisfying dinner
Beef Gyros with Tzatziki
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp onion powder
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp marjoram*
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients together. Shape into a loaf, about 5″ x 8″ long (as you can see above, I just formed into a loaf. Place on a grilling rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool. Slice thin.
Tzatziki Sauce
1, 8-ounce cup of full-fat, plain Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp dill
2 cloves garlic, peeled
salt and pepper, to taste
In a blender, mix all ingredients until liquid and blended. Store in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Keep refrigerated.
Can also be used as a salad dressing.
Makes 6 servings gyros and tzatziki.
Nutritional Information per Serving: 157.3 Cals.; 3.2 g Carbs.; 0.2 g Fiber; 3 g Net Carbs; 18 g Prot.; 8.3 g Fat
Nutritional Per Entire Recipe: 944 Cals.; 19 g Carbs.; 1 Fiber;18 g Net Carbs; 108 g Prot; 50 Fat
* Can’t find marjoram? Look to oregano, thyme, sage or basil as adequate substitutes.
Laura’s Lean Ground Beef
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Price: $5.99 per pound. The price tag might be a bit hefty (in some places it’s upwards of $6.99/pound), you can often find a deal by looking for their chub packs, visiting Kroger affiliates, and by looking for local buy one, get one free offers in stores. I know in Denver, every quarter, our local Kroger affiliates offer the BOGO deal. I go and literally fill the cart (and my freezer) for only $3.50/pound. (Make sure to bag beef prior to freezing to help stave off freezer burn).
Save: Get an instant $1 off coupon just for signing up for their newsletter
Found at: Store Locator
Website: Laura’s Lean Beef
Disclosure: Laura’s Lean Beef has provided the product free of charge for review, but this has not affected my review of the item.
Jamie…From one of MANY hubsters, THANK YOU!!!! I live in Michigan and have to dress like an Eskimo just to grill…
This recipe sounds delish! But I was wondering. I can’t find anywhere on their website where they say their beef is grass fed, nor grass finished. It’s usually standard to feed cattle soy and corn. And they advocate a low fat diet and lifestyle. With this low of fat content, it seems to need more fat in the recipe.
The full fat yogurt may have some fat, but usually they add some kind of thickner to it. I’ve moved to using sour cream for my tzatiki. We spent 3 years in Greece, and oh my the yogurt was so wonderful! They use cheesecloth to drain it till it’s very thick. And use whole, fresh milk! And the whole time we were there, never once have I seen or tasted anyone or any restaurant use dill in their tzatiki! I’ve only seen it in American recipes. But if you like it, go for it!
Thanks for a great recipe! I love all of your recipes! Lynda
I found a blog on Laura’s Lean Beef’s website that stated they cannot sustain their cattle on 100% grass feeding, because of weather conditions. They also use traditional feed. HTH.
https://www.laurasleanbeef.com/blog/welcome-to-the-lauras-blog/
Many ranchers finish their cattle now with grain. If they’re changing away from grass-fed, grain-finished, I’d be superbly disappointed.
Is it getting impossible economically to maintain grass feed herds? I buy it at a small locally owned specialty grocery in ann arbor but it is quite expensive. As much or more than Laura’s.
Hi, Frank! I wonder that, too. I buy grass-fed from a friend whose dad is a rancher in New Mexico, and he finishes his meat with grain because he says it fattens up the cows slightly and makes them taste better. It was pretty freaking awesome beef.
Back in the late 70’s, I lived in a nice, little neighborhood at the edge of Detroit(I know, I know). I was expecting my oldest daughter and CRAVED a hamburger in January. We just had the standard, cheap, round charcoal grill. So I got out the charcoal, etc and barbequed some burgers. Well, back then, people didn’t grill in the winter. I looked up to see my neighbor in his garage window, with a beer watching me like the circus was in town!
BTW, I am going to try this recipe! I love gyros!
We grill year around when we were in Indiana and we grill year around now that we are in Fort Collins! It may be a bit cold, but the sun is shining and all is well.
thank u JAMIE!!! I was dropping my son off with my mom the other day & she was eating a gyro!!! BUT where can i find marjoram? i looked in the spices section but maybe it isn’t a spice? 🙂 PLEASE HELP! 🙂 I just have to add: U ROCK!!
Hi, Rita! It should be in with the spices at the store. If not, you can use oregano, thyme, sage or basil as adequate subs.
Awesome!!! Jamie, u make my life so easy!!!! Thank.u!!!
What is the net carb count for the sauce only? I would like to use it as a salad dressing.
Thanks
I’ve been buying Laura’s Lean Beef for a couple of years now because it’s good quality and free of hormones and antibiotics. But it’s not grass fed.
Hi there! It was grass-fed at one time. Now it’s grass-grain fed. I haven’t noticed a quality difference, so I’m thinking it’s still mostly grass-fed.
I am in Ontario Canada and we grill, on charcoal, year round at least twice a week. This recipe looks delish! I will be trying it really soon.
I love to grill! I hope you love these as much as we do.
Get a George Foreman counter top grill ya’ll! It is great!!