Beef Gyro Stromboli with TangyTzatziki Sauce Recipe

Here is a recipe that's guaranteed to become a favorite of yours and your family. My family asks for this stromboli every week, saying they could live off of it. Indeed!

BEEF GYRO STROMBOLI WITH TANGY TZATZIKI SAUCE
Yield: 4- 5 servings as a main course

1-1/2 pounds chuck tender steak, flank steak, or roast
1 cup Italian dressing

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/8 cup finely chopped red onion (optional)
16 oz. pizza dough, thawed
small amount of flour
egg white with a splash of water
poppy or sesame seeds

crockpot
rolling pin
waxed paper or pastry sheet
pastry brush

Let the pizza dough thaw in the refrigerator for about 12 hours or until completely thawed.

Place uncooked beef in crockpot. Pour one cup Italian dressing over beef. Cover and cook on high for 5 - 6 hours or on low for 10 - 12 hours. About one hour before the beef is done, remove pizza dough from the refrigerator and place on counter to warm. Cold dough will not roll out.

While beef is cooking, make a simple Tzatziki sauce: blend together one cup of plain yogurt, 1 large peeled and chopped cucumber, 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder, 1-1/2 tsp., of white vinegar or lemon juice, 1 T. of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

When beef is tender, remove from the crockpot, discarding the juices. Shred beef into bite-sized chunks. Sprinkle a little flour on the waxed paper and on roller, and roll the pizza dough into a rectangle about 12" x 8". Place two cups of the shredded beef on dough, leaving about an inch margin all around. Crumble and spread 4 oz. of feta cheese over beef. Sprinkle the onion on. Roll the stromboli up so that the short sides are on the ends. Pinch along the length to seal the dough. Then pinch the ends, roll the dough over so that seam is on the bottom, and pinch the ends under.

Whisk an egg with a bit of water and use the pastry brush to paint the entire stromboli. Sprinkle on poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Place on baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 - 12 minutes. When stromboli loaf is brown, it's ready to remove from the oven. Let cool for 5 minutes and then cut into thick slices and serve with a dollop of Tzatziki sauce atop each slice or off to the side. Enjoy with any salad or vegetable.