Protein: 
Origin: Canadian, North American
Method: Smoker/Grill, Stovetop
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These stuffed pitas are a staple in Halifax and the Maritime region of Eastern Canada. This Canadian gyro consists of an all-beef loaf, cooked, sliced, and fried and then stuffed into a pita with toppings and a sweet and tangy Donair sauce. For our Halifax Style Donair recipe, we smoke the meatloaf for that extra bit of flavor. If you are looking for a spicier meatloaf, then be sure to check out our Spicy Cheese Stuffed Smoked Meatloaf.
Making the Smoked Donair
Gather your ingredients
Prepare your spice mix by mixing 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons oregano, and 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne. We learned the secret of using baking soda to get that perfect texture from our research in making our Cevapi-Balkan Style Kebobs, with Ajvar, the the technique works great here too.
Combine the spices and mix with the water until smooth. This will help the spices distribute more evenly.
You will need 2 pounds of ground beef for this recipe. Try not to go too lean with the meat. 85/15 ground beef has given us the best results.
Add the ground beef to the spice mixture and work the spices through the meat with your hands. You really want the spices to be evenly distributed so don't take any shortcuts on this step.
Forming the Donair
Form the meat into a loaf and then throw the meat onto the counter about 15 times, kneading as you go. In theory this helps the meat attain the proper texture. We are not 100% convinced of this but it is fun so we do it anyway. Feel free to skip this step if your spouse is not as cool as mine and yells at you for throwing beef around the kitchen.
If you choose to slam you meat on the counter you need to do it with force. Pretend you are The Rock circa 1997. Throw it down with authority.
After pounding the meat into submission form into a loaf. At this point we prefer to wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate overnight so the flavors can develop but you can proceed to cooking if you want.
Cooking your Halifax Style Smoked Donair
Preheat your oven or smoker to 350 degrees. Cook at 350°F for about 45 minutes then rotate the meat and cook for an additional 30 minutes. You want the internal temperature of the Smoked Donair to be at least 155 degrees before removing the loaf from the smoker.
Remove the meat from the smoker or oven and rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Making the sauce for the Smoked Donair
Donair sauce is basically a sweet and tangy sauce consisting of sweetened condensed milk, vinegar, and garlic. You can also make it with evaporated milk and add some sugar but we have found that using sweetened condensed milk has given us better results.
To make the sauce simply combine the 12 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk with ½ cup of distilled white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Using an immersion blender or hand blender, beat the mixture until well combined and smooth. The sauce should thicken some as you blend it. When you have reached your desired consistency cover the sauce and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. The sauce should keep in the refrigerator for several weeks if needed.
For more great sauce recipes check out our Easy Chimichurri Recipe, Smoked German Beer Cheese Sauce, and Malbec Sauce For Steak.
Finishing the Halifax Style Smoked Donair
Prepare your toppings by slicing your onion and tomatoes.
Remove your Halifax Style Smoked Donair and Donair sauce from the refrigerator.
Slice the Donair into about ¼ inch thick slices.
Heat a small amount of cooking oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Fry the slices of Smoked Donair for about 1 minute per side or until nicely browned and warmed back through.
Warm your pita bread in the oven or microwave then fill with slices of the Smoked Donair, tomato, onion, and top with the Donair sauce. Roll up and enjoy!
Have extra pita bread? Give these recipes a try:
Grilled Souvlaki (Greek Chicken Skewers)
Cevapi-Balkan Style Kebobs, with Ajvar
Smoked Lebanese Chicken Shawarma
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Halifax Style Donair-Canada's Gyro
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Ground Beef
- 4 Tab Water
- 2 tea Salt
- 2 tea Baking Soda
- 2 tea Oregano
- 1 tea Garlic Powder
- 1 tea Onion Powder
- 1 tea Black Pepper
- 1 tea Cayenne
- Onion Slices for serving
- Tomato Slices for serving
- Pita Bread for serving
Donair Sauce
- 12 Ounce Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ½ Cup White Vinegar
- 1 tea Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Combine the spices with the meat and mix them together well. Add the spice mixture to the meat and work the spices through the meat with your hands.
- To help develop the proper texture of the meat, forcefully throw the meat down on the counter about 15 times, kneading each time.
- Form the meat into a loaf and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Prepare your grill or smoker for indirect cooking and heat to 350 degrees. Cook the Donair until it reaches an internal temperature of about 160 degrees. Remove the loaf from the smoker and allow to cool, or cover and refrigerate it overnight.
Making the Donair Sauce
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk, vinegar, and garlic powder in a bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until combined and thickened. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Finishing the Smoked Donair
- Remove the meatloaf and Donair sauce from the refrigerator. Slice the Donair into ¼ inch slices.
- Heat a small amount of cooking oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Fry the slices of Smoked Donair for about 1 minute per side or until nicely browned and warmed back through.
- Warm the pita bread and fill with the sliced Donair, tomatoes, onion, and Donair sauce.
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