Back in the day, so the story goes, a guy moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia and opened a Gyro shop.
As the story continues, the shop was not a hit, so he went back to the drawing board and came up with what is, essentially, a Canadian Gyro. Donair is wildly popular and is now the official sammich of Halifax.
So, why not settle back and make a batch?
The Donair Sauce recipe is already posted.
INGREDIENTS
•1-1/4 lb ground beef
•1 lb ground turkey
•3/4 cup bread crumbs
•2 tsp black pepper
•1-1/2 tsp Cayenne
•1-1/2 tsp oregano
•3 tsp paprika
•2 tsp onion powder
•1 tsp garlic powder
•1/2 tsp salt
Note 1: to make this properly, you are gonna need a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
Note 2: use whatever blend of ground meat you like. Ground turkey, ground pork, and “meatloaf mix” all work a treat.
Heat your oven to 300º and line a baking pan with foil.
Combine the bread crumbs and seasonings in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to blend well.
Add the ground meat and pulse again until well blended and smooth.
Shape the mixture into two loaves and place on the prepared baking pan.
Bake for two to 2-1/2 hours, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Our household is small, so I wrapped and stashed one cooled loaf in the freezer and sliced the other thinly.
Reheat the sliced Donair in a skillet and use as you would Gyro meat in pita bread or on a salad.
Or…
Spread some of the Donair Sauce on pizza dough (I used two thin pizza crusts from the market), then top with sliced Donair meat, sliced red onion, and halved grape tomatoes.
Sprinkle some shredded Mozzarella over the top and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is a bit crispity.
Top with sliced scallions and serve.
I usually serve mine with shredded lettuce and additional Donair Sauce on top.
Pretty darned tasty.