GREEK STEAK PITAS

We were all about the Greek food last week, apparently (I made this on Thursday). This recipe I got from my mom, and although I dimly recall her making it at least a few times when I was in my teens, I didn’t have any strong impressions of it (or maybe I was just not eating much meat at that stage of my life). The first time I made it for A, we both agreed it seemed blander than expected and didn’t produce a lot of food, so ever since then I’ve been toying with the proportions. I think I’ve got it about right now, but every time I make it is a bit of an experiment, and the results can vary. At its best, this is a tasty and easy meal that’s light but still satisfies my occasional desire for well-seasoned red meat.

½ cup plain yogurt
1 small cucumber, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound beef tip steak, cut into thin strips
1 small onion, sliced thin (or maybe less, depending on how much you like onion—I think I used about a half)
4 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tomato, sliced
6 pieces pita bread (the kind with pockets)

1. Dice the cucumber and mix it with the yogurt in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Slice the onion and chop the garlic. Put the olive oil in a skillet and set it over medium heat. When it's warm, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are limp.

3. Meanwhile, rub the steak with salt and pepper all over, then slice into strips. Add to the skillet when the onions start to soften, along with the oregano and a little more salt. Stir-fry the beef until it's no longer pink, being careful not to overcook it (a couple of times I’ve made it it’s been really tough, which is why I’ve taken to cooking the onions for a while first and then adding the beef later). Grind some more pepper over the top.

4. While the beef is cooking, slice the tomato and put it in a small bowl. Slice each pita bread in half, open the pockets, and warm them up briefly in the microwave.

5. To serve, spoon some beef into each pita pocket, then add a spoonful of cucumber mixture and a couple of tomato slices.

Serves: 4 (3 pita pockets each)
Time: 30 minutes