Stacked Gyros Loaf with Sumac Onions and Dill Tzatziki

Method

1. Freeze the pork neck and belly for 30 minutes until firm, then slice them as thinly as you can, 3–4 mm. Mix in a bowl with the olive oil, grated onion, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper, working the marinade into every slice. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight; the long rest seasons the meat all the way through.

   Add in this stepPork neck (or shoulder), boneless 270 gPork belly, skinless 80 gOlive oil 1½ tbspOnion, finely grated 60 gGarlic cloves, minced 2Dried oregano 1 tspSmoked paprika ¾ tspGround cumin ½ tspGround coriander ½ tspDried thyme ½ tspLemon juice 1½ tspSalt ¾ tspBlack pepper, freshly ground ½ tsp

2. Make a thick tzatziki: grate the cucumber, mix with the salt, wait 10 minutes and squeeze it bone-dry in a clean cloth. Stir into the yogurt with the finely grated garlic, olive oil, dill and vinegar (5 min). Chill until serving.

   Add in this stepCucumber ½Salt (for the cucumber) 1 pinchGreek yogurt (strained, full fat) 180 gGarlic clove (for the tzatziki) 1Olive oil (for the tzatziki) 1 tbspFresh dill, finely chopped 2 tspWhite wine vinegar 1 tsp

3. Slice the red onion paper-thin and rub it with the sumac and parsley until it softens and turns pink. Set aside: it becomes a sharp, crunchy relish that cuts through the rich pork.

   Add in this stepRed onion ½Sumac ½ tspFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tbsp

4. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Line a 18×8 cm loaf tin with baking paper. Stack the pork slices in the tin, alternating neck and belly, and press each layer down firmly so there are no air pockets; the tighter the stack, the more it slices like spit-roasted gyros.

5. Roast in the oven for 45 min, until the top is deep brown and a thermometer in the centre reads at least 71 °C. Lift the loaf out by the paper, keep the juices from the tin, and rest it on a board for 10 min so it firms up and slices cleanly.

   oven

6. Cut the loaf lengthwise into thin shavings, about 3 mm. Heat a large frying pan over high heat with a spoonful of the tin juices and crisp the shavings in 1 batch(es), 3 min per batch, turning once, until the edges are crackling and browned.

   high heat

7. Brush the pitas with a little of the remaining juices and warm them in the pan over medium heat for 2 min in total, about 30 seconds per side each.

   Add in this stepGreek pita breads (thick, pocketless) 2

   medium heat

8. Fill each pita with tzatziki, the crisp pork, sliced tomato and the sumac onions, then roll up and wrap the bottom in paper. Spoon any leftover juices over the meat just before rolling.

   Add in this stepRipe tomato 1