Authentic Halifax Donairs

Halifax Nova Scotia Donairs

Donairs are a Nova Scotia version of gyros, the Greek dish with rotisserie-cooked meat sliced and served on pita bread. You can get donairs everywhere in Halifax, or get pizzas with donair meat and sauce on them, and my husband, a Halifax native, loves it. So I learned how to make the recipe - which isn't your typical way of cooking meat, but does provide some stress relief :)

Here are a few tips:
  • You have to knead the ground beef with the spices and other ingredients enough so that it becomes one big piece of meat - otherwise, you just end up with meatloaf, and it falls apart as soon as you go to slice it.
  • I don't want you to be surprised - the sauce is unlike anything we would ever put on gyros in the United States, or actually anywhere besides Nova Scotia I'm pretty sure. It's very sweet and thick, and the ingredients are surprising. Just do it anyway! It's good, and you'll get the full experience.

For the meat:
  • 3 lbs ground beef
  • 1 c bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbs oil (I used olive oil but it doesn't matter)
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1 Tbs ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbs onion powder
  • 1 Tbs garlic powder
  • 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbs beef bouillon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Take all the ingredients and add them to a large glass or metal bowl. I usually mix everything besides the beef together, then add the beef last.

Here's the fun part. You're going to knead it for about 10 minutes. Like how you'd knead bread, but also like you're really angry. Regular kneading is like this - fold it in half, press down. Fold it in half, press down. Turn the bowl, do it in different directions. 

Donair kneading involves picking up the hunk of meat and throwing it down. Repeatedly.

Same idea - you want to end up with one big chunk of seasoned beef, instead of meatloaf. And if you don't have the space, and don't need to misplace any rage, you can just knead it like regular kneading and get to the same place. Time it, and right around 10 minutes the consistency will start to change and it won't break apart when you press on it.

Form it into a loaf and put it on a pan with high rims like a 9x13 cake or roasting pan. Roast at 325 for 90 minutes, then wrap it in a new piece of aluminum foil and put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Put together the sauce ahead of time, too. If you aren't Canadian, it's no use to taste it and see if it tastes like something you would put on a gyro, because it's not. It's a far cry from tzatziki sauce, but, it's really, really good when you put the whole thing together.

For the donair sauce:
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/3 c white vinegar
Whisk the ingredients together until fully combined, then refrigerate at least 2 hours so it thickens. You can mix in 1/2 tsp garlic powder if you want to add even more flavor.

Before it's time to eat, take out the meat and slice it as thinly as you can. Then heat up 3 Tbs oil in a pan over medium high heat, and saute the meat slices right before serving. Do it in batches so that all the slices get attention. And add oil as you need to - this will make it char and add a lot of flavor as it soaks up the oil.

Warm some pita bread in a pan or in the microwave, and wrap it around the meat slices, chopped tomatoes and white onions (if you want garnishes), and the donair sauce.

Suggested Soundtrack: "People of the Sky" by Sloan


Authentic Halifax Donairs

Authentic Halifax Donairs

Yield: 6
Author: Mallory
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 2 HourInactive time: 4 HourTotal time: 6 H & 20 M

Ingredients

Donair Meat
  • 3 lbs ground beef
  • 1 c bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbs oil (I used olive oil but it doesn't matter)
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1 Tbs ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbs onion powder
  • 1 Tbs garlic powder
  • 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbs beef bouillon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Donair Sauce
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/3 c white vinegar
Assembled Donairs
  • 6 Greek pitas
  • chopped white onion
  • chopped tomato

Instructions

Donair Meat
  1. Take all the ingredients and add them to a large glass or metal bowl. I usually mix everything besides the beef together, then add the beef last.
  2. Knead the meat mixture for 10 minutes, until it sticks together and is no longer crumbly.
  3. Form it into a loaf and put it on a pan with high rims like a 9x13 cake or roasting pan. Roast at 325 for 90 minutes, then wrap it in a new piece of aluminum foil and put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Donair Sauce
  1. Whisk the ingredients together until fully combined, then refrigerate at least 2 hours so it thickens. You can mix in 1/2 tsp garlic powder if you want to add even more flavor.
Assembled Donairs
  1. Before it's time to eat, take out the meat and slice it as thinly as you can. Then heat up 3 Tbs oil in a pan over medium high heat, and saute the meat slices right before serving. Do it in batches so that all the slices get attention. And add oil as you need to - this will make it char and add a lot of flavor as it soaks up the oil.
  2. Warm some pita bread in a pan or in the microwave, and wrap it around the meat slices, chopped tomatoes and white onions (if you want garnishes), and the donair sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

880.08

Fat (grams)

46.29

Sat. Fat (grams)

15.87

Carbs (grams)

43.18

Fiber (grams)

2.93

Net carbs

40.25

Sugar (grams)

6.68

Protein (grams)

68.70

Sodium (milligrams)

1200.59

Cholesterol (grams)

204.11
https://www.flanandsimple.com/2020/06/authentic-halifax-donairs.html
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Greek, Main Dish, Canadian, Halifax, Donair
Canadian
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