★★★★★ 5/5
A taste synonymous with the Maritimes
If you’re like me and grew up eating a donair in the Maritimes, it likely came as a shock to you too that outside of our Maritimes and Atlantic Canada bubble that donairs aren’t eaten with that delicious white sauce (also known as “Halifax Sweet Sauce”), but with a tangy tzatziki sauce. Why haven’t more people found out about this delicious sauce? I’ve made it a bit of a mission to introduce people to this sweet, yet vinegary sauce.
It took me years to find and perfect the recipe, but I’m so happy I did. It really isn’t difficult, just requires some forethought because the meat needs to be cooked ahead of time and the sauce needs to be refrigerated overnight for best flavour.
Ingredients
Donair Meat:
- 1 lb. ground beef (454g)
- Spice blend (1 tsp each: onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika)
Donair Sauce:
- 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (300ml)
- 1/4 cup white vinegar (59ml)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Other Ingredients Needed:
- 6 Pita bread (no pocket)
- Shredded iceberg lettuce (3-4 cups)
- Diced tomatoes (1-2 cups)
- Diced sweet onion (1-2 cups)
- Optional: grated mozzarella
Preparation
- Mix donair sauce ingredients together. For best flavour, let sit overnight, though in a pinch, it will still taste delicious if cooked and served immediately.
- Preheat oven at 175 degrees C (350 degrees F). In a loaf pan, press well-mixed meat and spices down to make sure there aren’t air bubbles. Bake for 55-60 minutes, using a thermometer to ensure that meat is cooked throughly at 71 degrees C (160 degrees F).
- Remove meat from pan and set on cutting board. Let meat cool for 5-10 minutes until it’s easy to manipulate.
- Cut thin slices of meat and fry in a frying pan until there are crispy bits and edges (approx 4-5 minutes per side).
To assemble:
- For best results, warm the pita bread quickly (approx 30 secondes per side) in a frying pan. I’ve noticed that if we don’t warm up the pita before eating, it will crumble in our hands while we’re eating, making a big mess on our plates.
- On a big plate, place slices of fried donair meat onto pita, topped with shredded lettuce, diced onions, diced tomatoes and covered in donair sauce. Enjoy, but don’t forget the paper towel!