From the "A New Harvest Season" article in the April 2016 issue.

Tesuque Gyro
Serves 4

Lamb is a staple of the Pueblo diet. When you visit any pueblo on any feast day, one thing you will always find (other than red and green chile) is lamb. Yet outside of pueblo communities, lamb is not an everyday item. Ruiz wanted to bring it to the lunch menu in a fun and inviting dish. His inspiration came from the gyro. “We roast and shave our lamb in-house and serve it on fluffy pita bread, making a sandwich that is both appetizing and an easy way for people to step outside of their comfort zone,” he says.

“We also took a traditional tzatziki sauce and added red chile powder, which gives the sauce a whole new flavor profile. It’s a versatile sauce that will also complement other sandwiches and meat dishes.”

  • 1 pound raw lamb, shaved (you can ask your butcher to shave it, or, using a very sharp knife, cut the lamb into very thin slices—make sure to cut slowly and away from your body)
  • Pita bread
  • 3 ounces tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 ounces sliced red onions
  • 3 ounces romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 12 ounces Tesuque sauce (recipe below)
  1. Heat oil in a skillet. Add lamb and cook to desired doneness. Heat pita in the oven or on the grill until warm. Top pita with lamb, vegetables, and Tesuque sauce.

Tesuque Sauce

  • 3 cucumbers, peeled
  • 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 1 ounce red chile powder
  • 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
  • 1⁄2 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  1. Grate the cucumbers into a colander set in a bowl. Refrigerate colander, keeping bowl underneath it, for 4 hours. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well.