By Eleven years of this journal. The bakery is twenty years old in El Paso — TWENTY YEARS — and ten in Anapra. I am fifty-eight. The number twenty for the bakery is the number I set as the goal at Rosa's grave, the number that would mean permanence, the number that would prove the recipes survived. Twenty years. Two decades. The bakery has existed for twenty years and Rosa has been dead for twenty of those years minus one (she died in year one), and the bakery's life and Rosa's death are the same duration, and the duration is the proof, and the proof is the bread.
Sofia's speech, year sixteen: "Twenty years. The bakery is an adult. A voting, working, tax-paying adult. And like all adults, it needs to plan for retirement — not its retirement, but its founder's. My mother has been waking at 4 AM for twenty years. Someday she will sleep until five. Someday she will let me take the 4 AM shift. Someday is coming. But not today." Not today. The someday is coming but the today is the 4 AM and the 4 AM is mine and I will hold the 4 AM until the holding is no longer possible and the no-longer-possible is the someday and the someday is Sofia's.
Chile colorado year twenty. Two decades of the same recipe. The recipe at twenty is the recipe at one. Unchanged. Devoted. Rosa.
Twenty years asks for something substantial at the table — something with weight and warmth, something that takes time and patience the way the bakery has taken time and patience. I could not make the chile colorado here for you, but I can give you the next closest thing I know: beef that has been tended, seasoned with intention, and served wrapped in something soft and sturdy, the way a good tradition holds everything together. This is the meal I make when I need the table to feel like a monument. Make it on a day that deserves to be remembered.
Beef Gyros
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min (plus 2 hrs marinating) | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin or ribeye, thinly sliced against the grain
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 4 large pita breads or flatbreads
- 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
- Crumbled feta cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Marinate the beef. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the sliced beef and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor.
- Make the tzatziki. In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, remaining 1 minced garlic clove, lemon juice, dill, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Cook the beef. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches if needed, cook the marinated beef slices 2—3 minutes per side until browned at the edges and cooked through. Do not crowd the pan. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
- Warm the pitas. Place pita breads directly over a gas burner flame on low, or in a dry skillet over medium heat, for about 30 seconds per side until soft, pliable, and lightly charred at the edges.
- Assemble the gyros. Spread a generous spoonful of tzatziki across the center of each warm pita. Layer on the cooked beef, tomato slices, red onion, and shredded lettuce. Add crumbled feta if using. Fold or roll the pita around the filling and serve immediately, with extra tzatziki on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 490 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 640mg