It's Greek, friends, and unless you're ordering it from an unthinkable minimum-wage rube it's pronounced "heeros", not "jyros". It means turned, as in "cooked on a turning spit". The modern product comes to the restaurateur as a fully-cooked cylinder of ground and shaped lamb (well, a lamb-like substance anyway). You can do better.

Afghan kebabs of lamb or chicken have recently become popular, with fresh-cooked flat bread adding a miraculous extra taste, with the meat being remarkably adaptable to varying choices in spicing.

1 pound lamb, or ground lamb, or beef, or ground beef
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup chopped onion
4 pita breads (soft pocketless style is best, but any will do, or make 'em yourself)
2 cups shredded lettuce for garnish

CUCUMBER DRESSING

1 cup PLAIN yogurt
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
Chopped tomatoes and raw onions for topping

Mix meat and seasonings; grill over charcoal or cook well done in cast-iron skillet. Serve in pita bread, just folded over in half. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber dressing.