I of course do this with venison, but the base recipe in Greece would be with lamb; pork and chicken are also traditional in Greece. Basically this is like an American "taco night," where you lay everything out on the table and let everyone have at it. Fried potatoes are a common alternative to the pita breads, and I see lettuce as a garnish pretty often, as well as chunks of feta cheese. Once in a while I see those awesome pickled Greek pepperoncini peppers, too. They add a nice kick. There are a bunch of make-ahead steps here, so if you are pressed for time you can make the tzatiki sauce up to a few days ahead, and marinate the meat a full day a head of time, too.
1 1/2poundsvenison backstrap or leg meat,cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2cupolive oil
1/4cuplemon juice
Zest of a lemon
2tablespoonsdried oregano
2teaspoonsdried thyme
2teaspoonsblack pepper
TZATZIKI SAUCE
2tablespoonsolive oil
2tablespoonslemon juice
7ouncesof Greek yogurt
1/2cupdiced cucumber,peeled and seeded
1tablespoondill
2garlic cloves,minced
Salt and black pepper to taste
OTHER STUFF
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Red onions
Lemon wedges
Pita breads
Skewers
Instructions
When you are cutting your venison (or lamb, or beef, for that matter), make sure it is free of all silverskin and sinew. This will make the meat easier to eat in the pita. Cut them into smallish chunks -- remember, you are going to eat this as a sandwich of sorts, not as a big kebab. Add the meat to all the marinade ingredients in a sealable plastic bag, mix well and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to a full day ahead.
Meanwhile, make the tzatziki sauce by mixing all of those ingredients together. Keep that in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Chop all your accompaniments: Tomatoes, cucumbers, lemons, red onion, etc. If eating raw red onion isn't your cup of tea, soak the sliced onion in lemon juice or white wine vinegar while the meat is marinating. This quick pickle will pull the harshness right out of the onions.
When you are ready to rock, get your grill very hot. Make sure the grill grates are clean. Salt the venison liberally, and skewer the venison pieces together -- this is not how I normally do meat skewers, but jamming them all together helps keep these small pieces of meat from overcooking. Lay the skewers on the hot grill and cook them with the grill cover open until they are medium, about 4 minutes per side depending on how hot your grill is. I use the finger test for doneness to determine when to pull the meat off. Keep it on the skewers while you take it to the table.
To serve, lay everything out and let people make their own little pita wraps. Serve with a nice light Greek red wine, a dry rose or a crisp beer or three.