Cook\'s Country - 2019-06-07

JUNE/JULY 2019 • COOK’S COUNTRY 23

THE IDEA OF a bright, sunny Greek

salad—juicy tomatoes, briny feta and

olives, crisp greens, and herby dress-

ing—often outpaces the execution.

Some sad versions I’ve had featured

pink, hard, and tasteless tomatoes; tired

lettuce; and ho-hum dressing. Since

amazing peak-season tomatoes are

available in the summertime, I thought

I could make a better, fresher version.

Ripe tomatoes were a must—oth-

erwise, what’s the point? But even ripe

tomatoes need salt to reach their full

potential, and I found that salting the

tomatoes a good half-hour before as-

sembling the salad had the dual benefi ts

of deeply seasoning them and draining

off some excess moisture to concentrate

their fl avor. Sliced cucumber received

the same treatment (I salted and

drained it with the tomatoes) and ben-

efi ted similarly. And don’t worry—the

amounts of salt called for here won’t

make the salad too salty. Finally, since

the vegetables were so great, I decided

to forgo the lettuce entirely.

For the vinaigrette, I whisked

together some red wine vinegar, lemon

juice, and extra-virgin olive oil—a

pleasantly sharp and fl avorful base.

I added some sliced pickled peppers

and shallot to the dressing for a little

texture and a big pop of fl avor. Fresh

mint provided a cooling Mediterranean

element while fresh oregano anchored

the salad in Greece.

I transferred my new Greek salad to

a platter and topped it with a sprin-

kling of feta cheese; the fl avors shone

as bright as the sun on the Aegean Sea.

My colleagues were quick converts and

fast fans. No more of that mediocre

Greek salad for me, thank you.

GREEK TOMATO SALAD

Serves 4 to 6

Ripe tomatoes are essential to the suc-

cess of this salad. For a crunchy twist,

serve the salad with some crushed pita

chips sprinkled over top.

1½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cored

½ English cucumber, halved lengthwise

and sliced crosswise 1⁄8 inch thick

1½ teaspoons table salt, divided

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon pepper

1⁄3 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini

1 shallot, sliced into thin rings

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

1. Cut tomatoes into ½-inch-thick
   wedges, then cut wedges in half
   crosswise. Toss tomatoes, cucumber,
   and 1 teaspoon salt together in bowl;
   transfer to colander and let drain for
   30 minutes.


2. While vegetables drain, whisk oil,
   vinegar, lemon juice, pepper, and
   remaining ½ teaspoon salt together in
   large bowl. Add pepperoncini and shal-
   lot and let sit until slightly softened,
   about 15 minutes.


3. Add mint, oregano, and drained
   vegetables to bowl with dressing and
   toss to combine. Season with salt and
   pepper to taste. Transfer to platter and
   sprinkle with feta. Serve.

Greek

Tomato

Salad

How you handle the

tomatoes makes all the

diff erence in this fresh

summer salad.

by Ashley Moore

set in an aluminum foil–lined rimmed
baking sheet; the foil cover trapped
steam and jump-started the rendering.
After 40 minutes, I removed the cover
and roasted the pork for 20 minutes,
until it was cooked through. Finally,
for fl avorful char, I broiled it for
10 minutes.
Once I had let the meat rest (to
help its fi bers relax and redistribute
the juices), I sliced it thin and tossed
it with the juices left on the carving
board. Piled onto toasted pita bread
and topped with a quick stir-together
tzatziki sauce, this pork was intensely
fl avorful and totally satisfying. My
coworkers claimed that it was the best
lunch of the week.

PORK GYRO Makes 8 sandwiches
Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston
butt in the supermarket. Buy a bone-
less pork butt roast from the center
of the shoulder that is in one piece.
Do not use a picnic roast, which often
comes tied in netting or string and
unravels into several smaller pieces.

GYRO
1 (4-pound) boneless pork butt
roast, trimmed
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin
olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tablespoons dried oregano
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons pepper
8 (8-inch) pita breads
1 romaine lettuce heart
(6 ounces), sliced thin
1 small red onion, halved
and sliced thin
Lemon wedges

TZATZIKI

1 English cucumber, halved

lengthwise and seeded, divided

1½ cups plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 large garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon pepper

1. FOR THE GYRO: Slice pork
   lengthwise into 4 equal steaks, about
   1 inch thick (if steaks are thicker
   than 1 inch, press them with your
   hand to 1-inch thickness). Place
   pork in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag.
   Whisk ½ cup oil, garlic, oregano,
   salt, coriander, paprika, and pepper
   together in bowl. Add marinade to
   bag with pork. Seal bag and turn to
   distribute marinade evenly. Refrig-
   erate for at least 1 hour or up to
   24 hours.


2. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from
   broiler element and heat oven to
   350 degrees. Line rimmed baking
   sheet with aluminum foil and set wire
   rack in sheet. Remove pork from
   marinade and place on prepared wire
   rack; discard marinade.


3. Cover sheet tightly with foil
   and transfer to oven. Roast until
   pork registers 100 degrees, about
   40 minutes. Remove sheet from oven
   and carefully remove foil so steam
   escapes away from you. Return sheet
   to oven and continue to roast until
   pork registers 160 degrees, 20 to
   25 minutes longer.


4. FOR THE TZATZIKI:
   While pork roasts, shred half of
   cucumber on large holes of box
   grater. Combine shredded cucumber,
   yogurt, oil, lemon juice, dill, salt, gar-
   lic, and pepper in bowl. Refrigerate
   until ready to serve. Slice remaining
   cucumber thin and set aside.


5. Leave sheet in oven and turn
   on broiler. Broil until pork is well
   browned on top side only, about
   10 minutes. Transfer pork to carving
   board and let rest for 5 minutes.


6. Brush 1 side of pitas with remain-
   ing 1 tablespoon oil. Place 4 pitas
   oiled side up on now-empty wire
   rack. Broil until pitas are soft and
   lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
   Repeat with remaining 4 pitas.


7. Slice pork crosswise very thin.
   Toss pork with accumulated juices
   on carving board. Divide pork evenly
   among pitas and top with lettuce,
   onion, sliced cucumber, and tzatziki.
   Serve with lemon wedges.

Thinly slice the pork and toss it with the
juices on the carving board.

TEAR THE MINT

Chopped mint will turn black; torn won’t.