Greek here, and actually owner of a grill restaurant. The reason Greek (and in general) Mediterranean food tastes really good is quite deeper than that. 1) We mostly use local meat, and we mostly, eat pork steak. 2) We mostly grill them using local charcoal which really brings up the flavor. 3) We use olive oil where needed. Local oil that is produced mostly by ourselves. My faimily for example produces more than 1 ton of oil per year. Especially when frying potatoes it's night and day different. 4) When using oregano in meat, some people like to add it as a seasoning BEFORE they cook it. Personally I use a tiny bit of it, AFTER the meat has been cooked. In my opinion it's far better. 5) Last but not least, having seen multiple videos of foreign cooks and TH-camrs, and having eaten both abroad, and locally meat that is imported from abroad, there is not comparison. Locally grown livestock are miles tastier. Although they aren't as strong as imported meat. As for chicken, there is such a big difference I'm not even sure it's chicken you are eating. 😅 So to conclude, it all comes down to actually producing your own food. When the potatoes, the tomatoes, the oil, the oregano, the cheese (we use feta or white cheese as many call it) and livestock are actually all from your backyard, they just taste different. 😊
Funny the only person who agrees wholeheartedly is another Greek ! Παρ' όλα αυτά , δε νομίζω ότι όλοι δίνουν τόσο λίγη σημασία στη προέλευση της πρώτης ύλης , απλά απευθύνεσαι σε λάθος κοινό ! Γι αυτό μας ρήμαξαν την αγροτική παραγωγή , οι εισαγωγείς θα τά'τρωγαν μόνοι τους αν τα δικά μας αφθονούσαν όπως πριν λίγα χρόνια
@@alexandragavrilidi7182 Σωστά, αλλά μάλλον εκτός θέματος ! Ο σχολιαστής επικεντρώνεται στην ποιότητα και τη καθαρότητα της πρώτης ύλης . Διότι και οι Αμερικάνοι μοιράζονται τα μπέργκερ και τα καπνιστά κρέατα , ακόμα και οι χορτοφάγοι αν δε προσέχουν τρώνε όσπρια μονσάντο , και είναι όλοι άρρωστοι . Δεν είναι μαγικό φίλτρο το φαγητό χωρίς ζιζανιοκτόνα , ορμόνες, συντηρητικά και βελτιωτικά . Είναι απλά τροφή.
White cheese is not Feta. Is a cheap alternative in many countries produced with same type of brine used in Feta but made usually from COW milk. Original Feta ( like the one Greek producers fought to be recognised and labelled as a protected name ) is strictly made by a combination of GOAT and SHEEP milk.
@@galadballcrusher8182 dude! my family is producing it. :D I think I know what it is. Hahahaha I just explained it as "white cheese" so more people understand what it is. And for what it's worth, Feta is made using sheep milk. The milk from goats is a "spin-off" that makes the cheese lighter, with a LOT LESS, fat. My grandma actually likes to make feta entirely using goat milk. And before it turns to feta, it's really soft. I mean the day it turns from milk to cheese. That soft one, is my favorite. Especially if you fry it, oh my god...!
Well as a Greek, I wouldn't call oregano "msg". Its not a flavor enhancer like salt, its herbs. Fresh oregano is too weak, but the dried is powerful. It needs very little. With beef I don't think its the best pair, its better for me at least for pork in charcoal, with lemon. Nothing like beef. With beef you get more tender and milky, buttery flavour, with pork, more aromatic, sour, salty one. Better for salads, seafood, you get the point, anti-milky.
In Greece we use oregano at the very end of the cooking because it can burn easily and then it becomes bitter. Also I don't understand why people think Greeks eat tahini, hummus or falafel. I mean we do from time to time but it's middle eastern food.
They are more popular in Cyprus, and Britain has incorporated cuisines from places where they used to have colonies. Cyprus was one of those places, so Cypriot cuisine is prevalent in England (I lived there for 5 years, I know, halloumi cheese is so popular there that it's cheaper than in Athens.) From there, it spread to the US etc.. When I told English people that we don't eat spanakopita in tavernas, they were shocked. They view horiatiki (they simply call it Greek Salad) as a meal by itself, not an appetizer like we do. They have a very misleading idea of what Greek eating habits are.
@@ioannistsaganakis2861 The main point there is they think Greek cuisine is what we eat in tavernas, but in reality tavernas are not restaurants. Taverna is more like street food and I find it funny whenever foreigners think they are eating healthy Greek food on tavernas. It's difficult to find original Greek food as a tourist because we still cook at home, but slowly we're going to have more restaurants and especially in places with students.
Hi Guga! About oregano here are some very popular ways us Greeks use it: 1)With pork chops and pork pancettas, grilled. We grill them only with salt and after they are ready we put on top of them dried oregano and squeeze lemon. This is the most basic way to eat grilled pork. 2) We put oregano over tomato salads and the typical Greek salad. Dried usually but you can put fresh too. Also but oregano and olive oil on a piece of feta cheese. 3) About beef steaks, again we might put dried oregano after it is grilled but many don't do this. 4) If you are making homemade beef patties, then plenty of oregano is a must in the mixture of the patties. 5) When baking/grilling lamb pieces or even a whole lamb on the spit, we season it with salt-pepper-oregano and olive oil. In small quantities we put oregano in various other recipes such as lentil soups, baked potatoes, dishes that use tomatoes, etc.
As a greek person, oregano (and a squeeze of lemon) really shines when used to season pork meat (preferably in charcoal). We always go for dried oregano when using it to season meats, and put it near the end so it doesn't burn. If you wanna use the fresh herb, you can try making an oregano flavored EVO and work with that.
As a Greek I'm glad you tried this experiment. But I have a few thoughts to share that you might want to consider if you try it again. A big direct flame like that of the blowtorch might actually burn the oregano and introduce a bitter flavor, so in case you want to use something like that, you may want to add the oregano at the end. Also you were too stingy with the olive oil in the salad. The best part of χωριάτικη (folk) salad is dipping sourdough bread in it at the end. So next time add more oil and serve it in a bowl. Oregano on fries is fire too!
@@videostash413 You are just ignorant. I am the national minister of oregano affairs of the Hellenic republic. Our ministry's job is to examine the best way of growing, using and exporting oregano. Our oregano economy was doing great but after your comment informing people that there are more sources of oregano, our farmers have been losing their jobs or even worse switching their production to thyme and rosemary. I ask you to take it back unless you want innocent hard working oregano farmers to lose their livelihood. Oregano exports are 87% percent of the national GDP and we can't afford to lose it.
@@papapritsos think how butt hurt @videostash413 is to repat the same comment on every other comment that starts "As a Greek" must be jelous that many Greeks like us use it daily in our foods over that its available anywhere else.
as a Greek chef i can tell you that it is even better when the oregano is either directly cooked in the fire without the sous vide process or while the steak is still warm, sprinkle dry oregano the last moment! try it
@Guga , I love what you do and you have been my inspiration since your very first video. Constructive feedback: 1. Dry oregano goes to the salad. While you drizzle, crush it between your thump and index finger. Add a little more olive oil please 🙏 2. Don't burn oregano, it gets bitter. Alternatively use A) Dry oregano to finsh B) Oregano infused olive oil to finish C) Oregano compound butter to finish. As a greek chef, my contribution to you: - Dry oregano to salads. - Fresh oregano to tomato sauce - Thyme and rosmarin to lamb - Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) to pork chops especially the fatty parts like neck. Only to finish. Keep on 💪
Let me introduce you to a trick we use here in Lakonia Greece and not even many Greeks know it. You can consume fresh oregano as well. Boil the fresh oregano for 5-8 min until the bitterness goes away , put it on a big tray to remove the moisture for a couple of hours and you can freeze it afterwards for later use. Use it in the oven with meat/potatoes etc as a base or a layer on top and it will blow your mind. (Use as much as you like). It tastes really differently from dried oregano , like nothing you ever tasted before. You will love it!!
We don't get good beef steakes like this in Greece, but the Greek way to grill pork steaks/ribs, lamp/sheep/goat ribs etc is this: Season with salt only (pepper is ok too), when it's out of the grill sprinkle with a lot of fresh lemon juice and add dried oregano. That's the way to go
The rule on fresh herbs vs dried herbs - if a recipe calls for dried herbs, double that amount if using fresh. The reverse is true: if the recipe calls for fresh, use only half that amount if using dried.
Except if you are NOT cooking it, dried herbs when not cooked have very little flavour and fresh ones have a lot. The cooking process leeches a lot of flavour from fresh.
Where I work we do 3x times. 1 Tbl fresh = 1 tsp dried. But we only use dried when the fresh would burn from cook times, like breakfast potatoes. Or when we don't have enough fresh for soups, throw in dry, but we also bundle the fresh herbs and remove them. The dried stay in unless you fine mesh strain. I work banquets at a high end resort, so we aren't measuring by spoons, 3 cups = 1 cup.
@@DeathCrunch Water content. Fresh is best for finishing, but cooking fresh ruins it. Makes it bitter. But if you dry them it concentrates the flavor and is great for marinates or long cooks. I hang fresh herbs in my pantry and grind them with a coffee bean grinder when they are dry. You can also make your own onion and garlic powder by putting the skins in a low oven.
As a Greek I told you this. Never put oregano at begging of cooking only when a steak is ready because oregano will be bitter. And you don't need to much. Just a little bit. Also if you have a Greek salad you need to put dry oregano on the top.
@@greygxd ok so noodles, soy sauce, raw salmon, wasabi as as relevant in Japan as they are in Colombia. But no, this time is different. Japan is a honoured underrated country, not like us the Greeks, the freaks. Who gives a f about Greece
Most spice herbs are in the mint family : peppermint, spearmint, mint, horse mint, basil, Thai basil, holy basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, balm, lemon balm, hyssop, etc. ... Sage is in a different herb family.
As someone originally from the Middle East, I can tell you that we never eat falafel without fries and bread. In fact, 99 percent of the time, it’s served as a sandwich.. u missing the whole point of the falafel....Try it as a sandwich with plenty of fries, fresh tomato, and lots of sauce in a pita bread. You’ll experience the real taste of falafel.
@@sumyunggui8750 All of them. As a swede with no connection to the middle east at all other than a lot of immigrants having kebab places here I can assure you that almost any sauce you can get in those places is a hit with falafel and fries. The strong red one, the galicy white one, the hummus, the aioli, and a bunch of other ones. The more sauces you get, the more dip you have for your fries too. :)
Here in lebanon a falafel sandwich usually consists lebanese pita bread, the falafel, tahine, pickles. As a bonus some places also give peppers (not put in the sandwich).@@sumyunggui8750
I am Greek, and needless to say that your video made me really hungry, well done, excellent shooting and presentation. When we Greeks say that we are having the best meals in the most beautiful country in the world, we do mean it. I wish i could invite so many people around the world to taste and live this experience.
Just like the others have mentioned, usually we add the oregano at the end in order not to burn it, cause it leaves you with a bitter taste. I guess it's the sous vide that actually allowed you to get a great flavor without burning it. And yes, dried oregano all the way! Fresh oregano is better for salads and sauces. Dried oregano is more versatile. And I have to give you kudos, because you 're the first person online to actually make the Greek salad right, although we 'd normally use regular tomatoes and not cherry (I myself like cherry tomatoes better). Oregano is also great for the salad and it goes really well with feta cheese.
You only need a very small amount of vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Even if your only source of vitamin C was french fries dipped in ketchup, you wouldn't get scurvy (although you'd likely have other problems).
First of all, you should use dried oregano in the salad, then it's a traditional Greek salad. Now, for the stake, you should squeeze a little fresh lemon juice at the end. It goes perfect with the dried oregano and it is the classic way of serving stake in Greece. It's really worth it!
You used garlic sauce which is syrian food (they call it toum and it's an emulsification of garlic and oil), it pairs very well with falafel. The greeks would use tzatziki which is straigned yogurt, crushed raw garlic, and cucumber that has been grated and strained.
What you mean? Meat is the healthiest thing you can eat. Has all the required substances to live a long and healthy life. But good luck eating only meat all the time; cost too much.🤣
Oregano and thyme originated from Greece and there are many different types of both herbs. There actually a type of oregano that also has thyme notes, or a thyme type that has lemon notes. When in Greece stop by at a herb shop and ask for Steak herbs. There’s a whole new world there of unbelievable seasonings
Feedback: As a greek i would like to say that you need to put the dried oregano after the steak. Also, the steak is usually pork, and we usually put it in charcoal and eat it grilled. We also dont really use falafel and garlic sauce for a side dish, we usually put fries, baked potatoes, or white rice. For the sauce we put tzatziki, its a delicious greek paste that is made by: Yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and some kind of acidity, usually it being lemon or vinegar. WARNING: Do not put oregano in tzatziki or the greeks will find you. If you want to make tzatziki look fancy just put some parsley on top. Its simple but delicious. 😊
We always use oregano in Greece, usually fresh but its tricky, for better results you put it near the end of the end or after the cooking or else can give a sour taste..mixed with olive oil and sometimes lemon 😊
I'm a Greek. The reason that is better to use the dehydrated form of herbs (well, most of the time) is that most of them if they are used in fresh form in a high temperature cooking then their juices are been burnt and thus the somewhat acidic taste. Another way to use the dehydrated form of the herbs is to just drop them on top of the cooked food before serving while it is still hot. Also, keeping herbs in dehydrated form preserves the substances in them.
Well i would like to make two suggestions. First use the dry oregano in the last moments because it can get bitter when it's burnt second use the fresh oregano like the rosemary i mean when you give color to your steak in a pan put butter and fresh oregano and paste it on the steak
My favorite way to prepare a steak is to marinate it in the following mixture for several hours or up to overnight. Even the kids love it. 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
We use oregano with salt to salads, meats, pitas etc. Some cannot eat pepper, but everyone can eat oregano. We always use dried oregano, you should rub it between your fingers before adding it to your food, it releases flavour and aroma. You can store dried oregano for many months
I would like to add that you get the best taste out of oregano by getting a few branches of fresh oregano, leaving it a dry and dark place to dry for a month or two and then, when you want to use it, crushing it a bit on a mortar & pestle. That way you don't lose the smell, the same way you do with pre-dried and pre-crushed herbs.
Guga saying he was skeptical about oregano and meat sounded to me like someone saying his skeptical about water being a more efficient way of loosing weight than drinking coca-cola light.
we pair oregano with many dishes. but mostly on grilled pork together with lemon as a finish after the grill leaving the oregano for long time get bitter easily so you have to use it on the final step .we also like it on feta with olive oil . and also popular snack is toasted bread,olive oil,salt,oregano, with garlic grated on the bread itself
if you liked the supermarket oregano wait till you get your hands on wild handpicked and then dried oregano from the mountains of Crete.... This is THE BEST
Anytime I make a beef stew or vegetable beef soup I always add oregano. Blew my mind how good it was when I first discovered it! I ALWAYS stick to Frontier brand because they don’t irradiate or fresh if possible.
The dried oregano I feel like have a better and more concentrated taste. Ever since I saw it on a pizza as a kid and tried it man did I fall in love with it
When I cooked for my parents, my mom couldn't take garlic. So for steaks, I would use salt, pepper, a light dusting of paprika and one other herb that I would change up. Usually coriander but sometimes Rosemary or thyme or you guessed.oregano. it worked well. I also recently on a whim made some chip dip with sour cream, balsamic, granulated garlic, and oregano (and of course a little salt and pepper). It came out pretty amazing.
Hummus and falafel are not traditionally Greek dishes, but in the U.S., they are often mistakenly considered as such. The salad he prepared was a true Greek salad, unlike the typical lettuce-tomato salad commonly found in the U.S. Greek living in the U.S.
Thank you Guga. Now I know what to do with the big batch of Tzatziki that I made today (it was for a lunch with friends where we had oysters, snails, bruschetta and fried sardines with tzatziki. I'm gonna make falafel!
It is very interesting for the recipes of meat roasting of a Greek dish and support for your researching related to Greek food recipes thank you and I like your video❤❤
I use thyme. I highly recommend it. A few crushed hazelnuts on top when serving. What is missing in gugas videos is some wine. Red meat without wine is sacrilege ! With the steaks we have sweet potatoes and spinach with garlic&fresh ginger. Formidable !
Guga should go 3 months to Greece. Greece is pure foodheaven. Endless foods in so many directions and so much depth, layers of flavors, while every ingredient is if the highest quality. Greeces produce is oure excellence, and distinguishes itself from any other nation.
Aren't they both authentic, and just different sauces? I know the one he made is really common in turkey more than Greece, but still in both countries of course. What an amazing food region
@ I’ve only ever seen tzatziki in American gyros shops but I could be mistaken. I was raised on tahini and ate a lot of Greek cuisine so I got excited lol
@@narfenmeyer I live in Greece and let me tell you, Tzatziki is used everywhere. Unlike that Tahini based sauce he used, that no one uses in their food in greece xd
@narfenmeyer when I was in Greece the classic tzaziki was everywhere. I've actually only found this tahini, garlic, lemon sauce recently; great for kebabs!
The oregano used in North America is a completely different species than the one used in Greece. The American oregano is very bitter and less fragarant, while the Greek species is sweeter and more aromatic. You need to find oregano from Greece. It will change your life and tastebuds forever! Also, when grilling the Greek way, you would throw on the oregano at the end of cooking, not the beginning. In fact, there is a name for mixing Greek Koroneiki olive oil and oregano on top of meat after grilling or roasting. It is called Λαδορίγανη. You can make some intense things with that. If you still are in Florida, there are 2 big Greek food specialty stores with these ingredients. One is in Miami, and one is in Tarpon Springs.
My advice as Greek.. whenever you add dried oregano on meat..after cooking splash some fresh lemon juice on top..completely different experience..additionally if oregano is overcooked it creates a bitter aftertaste
The reason fresh will not work in sous vide is to break cell walls you need the sous vide way hotter. 180-185 if I remember correctly. Dry the cell walls broke due to dehydration
What I've noticed when drying herbs is that the herbs keep a LOT more of their flavor if you keep the dried leaves whole (so no crushing them until you cook with them).
Τhis is not true for oregano, you have to crush it and store it to get the most intense flavor. But you are right about dried herbs like laurel for example
and here we are guga as a greek to oregano i prefer it in a greek salad which mean sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, feta cheese and of course oregano
I stopped mid-video to say that the oregano is powerful in taste you shouldn't use too much when dried. One tip for the falafel, add a bit of soda water (sparkling? idk), it helps bring in some air so it's not dense inside. By the way, if you liked the oregano, you should try za'atar, it's not really used for meat but works great with pita and olive oil, greek yogurt, or hummus!
Cavendar's is great - a little extra oregano doesn't hurt, either. When I'm using a Greek profile on beef, I like to cube the steak and do it as a kebab or on a pita for a cheat day. Lemon juice is a great acidic replacement for the vinegar on the salad as well - and I'd also add garlic salt and black pepper.
Because of this video I have just realised that unlike Basil where the fresh herb is preferred over the dried one the Oregano is exactly opposite. I have never seen people preferring fresh Oregano because it tastes weak and too herbacious and yes Oregano goes really well with meat. It is a common herb used in Balkan culture (not just in Greek).
My parents collect wild oregano every year and they dry it out. I am telling you this thing SMELLS insane and goes very well with everything roasted (especially pork). They ask me from work to bring em stock everytime I go back home.
Put the oregano at the end, otherwise it leaves a bitter taste. Also try oregano, fresh lemon and virgin olive oil when cooking the meat. Also the salad is called xoriatiki salad, it’s the Creek name.
Dried oregano always work better, the fresh one will taste bitter especially when boiled. Hint 1: You always add oregano just before service and not during cooking (gets bitter). Hint 2: Oregano is also added on top to the salad you made! Hint 3: Try it with Chips/French fries!!
Mate, oregano with meat dry, you could use it with beef but we don't (as far as I know) but it is perfect for grilled pork steaks and chicken. If you liked oregano now you must try throumbi, it's similar with oregano but in my opinion better (try some pork or chicken souvlaki - skewer with tzatziki).
Greek here, and actually owner of a grill restaurant.
The reason Greek (and in general) Mediterranean food tastes really good is quite deeper than that.
1) We mostly use local meat, and we mostly, eat pork steak.
2) We mostly grill them using local charcoal which really brings up the flavor.
3) We use olive oil where needed. Local oil that is produced mostly by ourselves. My faimily for example produces more than 1 ton of oil per year.
Especially when frying potatoes it's night and day different.
4) When using oregano in meat, some people like to add it as a seasoning BEFORE they cook it. Personally I use a tiny bit of it, AFTER the meat has been cooked. In my opinion it's far better.
5) Last but not least, having seen multiple videos of foreign cooks and TH-camrs, and having eaten both abroad, and locally meat that is imported from abroad, there is not comparison. Locally grown livestock are miles tastier. Although they aren't as strong as imported meat.
As for chicken, there is such a big difference I'm not even sure it's chicken you are eating. 😅
So to conclude, it all comes down to actually producing your own food.
When the potatoes, the tomatoes, the oil, the oregano, the cheese (we use feta or white cheese as many call it) and livestock are actually all from your backyard, they just taste different. 😊
Funny the only person who agrees wholeheartedly is another Greek ! Παρ' όλα αυτά , δε νομίζω ότι όλοι δίνουν τόσο λίγη σημασία στη προέλευση της πρώτης ύλης , απλά απευθύνεσαι σε λάθος κοινό ! Γι αυτό μας ρήμαξαν την αγροτική παραγωγή , οι εισαγωγείς θα τά'τρωγαν μόνοι τους αν τα δικά μας αφθονούσαν όπως πριν λίγα χρόνια
@@alexandragavrilidi7182 Σωστά, αλλά μάλλον εκτός θέματος ! Ο σχολιαστής επικεντρώνεται στην ποιότητα και τη καθαρότητα της πρώτης ύλης . Διότι και οι Αμερικάνοι μοιράζονται τα μπέργκερ και τα καπνιστά κρέατα , ακόμα και οι χορτοφάγοι αν δε προσέχουν τρώνε όσπρια μονσάντο , και είναι όλοι άρρωστοι . Δεν είναι μαγικό φίλτρο το φαγητό χωρίς ζιζανιοκτόνα , ορμόνες, συντηρητικά και βελτιωτικά . Είναι απλά τροφή.
White cheese is not Feta. Is a cheap alternative in many countries produced with same type of brine used in Feta but made usually from COW milk. Original Feta ( like the one Greek producers fought to be recognised and labelled as a protected name ) is strictly made by a combination of GOAT and SHEEP milk.
@@galadballcrusher8182 dude! my family is producing it. :D I think I know what it is. Hahahaha
I just explained it as "white cheese" so more people understand what it is.
And for what it's worth, Feta is made using sheep milk. The milk from goats is a "spin-off" that makes the cheese lighter, with a LOT LESS, fat.
My grandma actually likes to make feta entirely using goat milk.
And before it turns to feta, it's really soft. I mean the day it turns from milk to cheese. That soft one, is my favorite. Especially if you fry it, oh my god...!
Olive oil is not only wasted if cooked in high temperatures but is a heavy oil and not suitable for frying. I'm an olive oil producer too.
Well as a Greek, I wouldn't call oregano "msg". Its not a flavor enhancer like salt, its herbs. Fresh oregano is too weak, but the dried is powerful. It needs very little. With beef I don't think its the best pair, its better for me at least for pork in charcoal, with lemon. Nothing like beef. With beef you get more tender and milky, buttery flavour, with pork, more aromatic, sour, salty one. Better for salads, seafood, you get the point, anti-milky.
He knows that people automatically click if they see MSG. The term is quickly losing all meaning on his channels.
@jasonpettis4691 Guga subscribes to Uncle Roger, so MSG just means Makes Shit Good
Yeah, you've got to try it on pork in a marinade with olive oil, it's a whole different story
Well as a non-Greek I can tell you we have oregano all over the world, so people like me are just as much an authority as people like you.
Ευχαριστώ αδελφέ ωραία τα είπες
In Greece we use oregano at the very end of the cooking because it can burn easily and then it becomes bitter.
Also I don't understand why people think Greeks eat tahini, hummus or falafel. I mean we do from time to time but it's middle eastern food.
Agreed. We eat wholewheat tahini in breakfast with honey.
Tahini is really common.
They are more popular in Cyprus, and Britain has incorporated cuisines from places where they used to have colonies. Cyprus was one of those places, so Cypriot cuisine is prevalent in England (I lived there for 5 years, I know, halloumi cheese is so popular there that it's cheaper than in Athens.) From there, it spread to the US etc.. When I told English people that we don't eat spanakopita in tavernas, they were shocked. They view horiatiki (they simply call it Greek Salad) as a meal by itself, not an appetizer like we do. They have a very misleading idea of what Greek eating habits are.
Greece has their own many chickpea tahini dishes that are atleast as good
@@ioannistsaganakis2861 The main point there is they think Greek cuisine is what we eat in tavernas, but in reality tavernas are not restaurants. Taverna is more like street food and I find it funny whenever foreigners think they are eating healthy Greek food on tavernas. It's difficult to find original Greek food as a tourist because we still cook at home, but slowly we're going to have more restaurants and especially in places with students.
Hi Guga! About oregano here are some very popular ways us Greeks use it: 1)With pork chops and pork pancettas, grilled. We grill them only with salt and after they are ready we put on top of them dried oregano and squeeze lemon. This is the most basic way to eat grilled pork. 2) We put oregano over tomato salads and the typical Greek salad. Dried usually but you can put fresh too. Also but oregano and olive oil on a piece of feta cheese. 3) About beef steaks, again we might put dried oregano after it is grilled but many don't do this. 4) If you are making homemade beef patties, then plenty of oregano is a must in the mixture of the patties. 5) When baking/grilling lamb pieces or even a whole lamb on the spit, we season it with salt-pepper-oregano and olive oil. In small quantities we put oregano in various other recipes such as lentil soups, baked potatoes, dishes that use tomatoes, etc.
love oregano on a chunk of feta. also love caper leaves. they're incredible.
As a greek person, oregano (and a squeeze of lemon) really shines when used to season pork meat (preferably in charcoal). We always go for dried oregano when using it to season meats, and put it near the end so it doesn't burn. If you wanna use the fresh herb, you can try making an oregano flavored EVO and work with that.
the lemon makes all the difference for sure
Angel has yet to be dry aged, Guga.
He'll come out 95% lean & 5% fat😂😂
😂
@@DesiVeer010 0% grass fed
Got to give him that Wagyu cow diet first for a couple of months to get his intermuscular fat up.
As a Greek I'm glad you tried this experiment. But I have a few thoughts to share that you might want to consider if you try it again. A big direct flame like that of the blowtorch might actually burn the oregano and introduce a bitter flavor, so in case you want to use something like that, you may want to add the oregano at the end. Also you were too stingy with the olive oil in the salad. The best part of χωριάτικη (folk) salad is dipping sourdough bread in it at the end. So next time add more oil and serve it in a bowl. Oregano on fries is fire too!
As a non-Greek I can tell you we have oregano all over the world, so people like me are just as much an authority as people like you.
@@videostash413 imagine being upset that you are not greek
Imagine IPA beer is hoppy and bitter
@@videostash413 You are just ignorant. I am the national minister of oregano affairs of the Hellenic republic. Our ministry's job is to examine the best way of growing, using and exporting oregano. Our oregano economy was doing great but after your comment informing people that there are more sources of oregano, our farmers have been losing their jobs or even worse switching their production to thyme and rosemary. I ask you to take it back unless you want innocent hard working oregano farmers to lose their livelihood. Oregano exports are 87% percent of the national GDP and we can't afford to lose it.
@@papapritsos think how butt hurt @videostash413 is to repat the same comment on every other comment that starts "As a Greek" must be jelous that many Greeks like us use it daily in our foods over that its available anywhere else.
as a Greek chef i can tell you that it is even better when the oregano is either directly cooked in the fire without the sous vide process or while the steak is still warm, sprinkle dry oregano the last moment! try it
Do you have any tattoos?
@Guga , I love what you do and you have been my inspiration since your very first video.
Constructive feedback:
1. Dry oregano goes to the salad. While you drizzle, crush it between your thump and index finger. Add a little more olive oil please 🙏
2. Don't burn oregano, it gets bitter. Alternatively use
A) Dry oregano to finsh
B) Oregano infused olive oil to finish
C) Oregano compound butter to finish.
As a greek chef, my contribution to you:
- Dry oregano to salads.
- Fresh oregano to tomato sauce
- Thyme and rosmarin to lamb
- Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) to pork chops especially the fatty parts like neck. Only to finish.
Keep on 💪
Summer savory, I will try this. Thanks!
Rosmarin means rosemary, for the record. Summer savory is an awesome herb!
Let me introduce you to a trick we use here in Lakonia Greece and not even many Greeks know it. You can consume fresh oregano as well. Boil the fresh oregano for 5-8 min until the bitterness goes away , put it on a big tray to remove the moisture for a couple of hours and you can freeze it afterwards for later use. Use it in the oven with meat/potatoes etc as a base or a layer on top and it will blow your mind. (Use as much as you like). It tastes really differently from dried oregano , like nothing you ever tasted before. You will love it!!
You must be Maniatis. The best of the best.
thanks for the tip
We don't get good beef steakes like this in Greece, but the Greek way to grill pork steaks/ribs, lamp/sheep/goat ribs etc is this: Season with salt only (pepper is ok too), when it's out of the grill sprinkle with a lot of fresh lemon juice and add dried oregano. That's the way to go
Πες τα αδερφέ γιατί εδώ μας χαντακωνουν
The rule on fresh herbs vs dried herbs - if a recipe calls for dried herbs, double that amount if using fresh. The reverse is true: if the recipe calls for fresh, use only half that amount if using dried.
Except if you are NOT cooking it, dried herbs when not cooked have very little flavour and fresh ones have a lot. The cooking process leeches a lot of flavour from fresh.
Except for basil and parsley, never use the dried version of those.
Where I work we do 3x times. 1 Tbl fresh = 1 tsp dried. But we only use dried when the fresh would burn from cook times, like breakfast potatoes. Or when we don't have enough fresh for soups, throw in dry, but we also bundle the fresh herbs and remove them. The dried stay in unless you fine mesh strain.
I work banquets at a high end resort, so we aren't measuring by spoons, 3 cups = 1 cup.
Thats insane. The fresh stuff has more flavour, why would yoy use more of it.
@@DeathCrunch Water content. Fresh is best for finishing, but cooking fresh ruins it. Makes it bitter.
But if you dry them it concentrates the flavor and is great for marinates or long cooks. I hang fresh herbs in my pantry and grind them with a coffee bean grinder when they are dry. You can also make your own onion and garlic powder by putting the skins in a low oven.
As a Greek I told you this.
Never put oregano at begging of cooking only when a steak is ready because oregano will be bitter.
And you don't need to much.
Just a little bit.
Also if you have a Greek salad you need to put dry oregano on the top.
As a non-Greek I can tell you we have oregano all over the world, so people like me are just as much an authority as people like you.
@@videostash413Man why be so butthurt?
@@dimmersthegreat2338 i mean he aint wrong
@@greygxd ok so noodles, soy sauce, raw salmon, wasabi as as relevant in Japan as they are in Colombia. But no, this time is different. Japan is a honoured underrated country, not like us the Greeks, the freaks. Who gives a f about Greece
We need to start more sentences with “as a Greek I told you this.” 😂
Most spice herbs are in the mint family : peppermint, spearmint, mint, horse mint, basil, Thai basil, holy basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, balm, lemon balm, hyssop, etc. ... Sage is in a different herb family.
Mexican oregano is in the verbena family but shares some flavor chemicals with oregano, so the flavor is similar to a degree to oregano’s.
They all belong to the Lamiaceae family (as does sage).
Other well known herbs and spice belong to the Umbelliferae (like dill fe.).
@@wolfgangkranek376nowadays that family is usually called Apiaceae
@@athmaid I'm too old for this fancy new stuff. 😉
Even rosemary? I thought rosemary was a conifer. But then again it does have flowers... How strange.
As someone originally from the Middle East, I can tell you that we never eat falafel without fries and bread. In fact, 99 percent of the time, it’s served as a sandwich.. u missing the whole point of the falafel....Try it as a sandwich with plenty of fries, fresh tomato, and lots of sauce in a pita bread. You’ll experience the real taste of falafel.
amen!!!!!
What sauces would you recommend with it?
@@sumyunggui8750 All of them. As a swede with no connection to the middle east at all other than a lot of immigrants having kebab places here I can assure you that almost any sauce you can get in those places is a hit with falafel and fries. The strong red one, the galicy white one, the hummus, the aioli, and a bunch of other ones. The more sauces you get, the more dip you have for your fries too. :)
Here in lebanon a falafel sandwich usually consists lebanese pita bread, the falafel, tahine, pickles. As a bonus some places also give peppers (not put in the sandwich).@@sumyunggui8750
@@sumyunggui8750 The ultimate combo is Tahini, Hummus, Amba (a fermented mango sauce), and Schug (a spicy sauce).
I am Greek, and needless to say that your video made me really hungry, well done, excellent shooting and presentation.
When we Greeks say that we are having the best meals in the most beautiful country in the world, we do mean it.
I wish i could invite so many people around the world to taste and live this experience.
Dried oregano is a incredible seasoning with a woodfire cooking method. Particularly with sea salt, half sharp paprika, & ground chipotle pepper.
9:01 Yay, Leo ate an olive. Good for him.
Just like the others have mentioned, usually we add the oregano at the end in order not to burn it, cause it leaves you with a bitter taste. I guess it's the sous vide that actually allowed you to get a great flavor without burning it. And yes, dried oregano all the way! Fresh oregano is better for salads and sauces. Dried oregano is more versatile. And I have to give you kudos, because you 're the first person online to actually make the Greek salad right, although we 'd normally use regular tomatoes and not cherry (I myself like cherry tomatoes better). Oregano is also great for the salad and it goes really well with feta cheese.
There is now way that Angel doesn’t have scurvy at this point
Hi! True story: carnivores dont get scurvy.
Considering his mom tried to turn him vegan, I can't blame him. You can't force people to change in a snap
IDK, I was around 30 yo when I started eating vegetables, and I turned out pretty well
You only need a very small amount of vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Even if your only source of vitamin C was french fries dipped in ketchup, you wouldn't get scurvy (although you'd likely have other problems).
@@pdk213 Ik. its just a joke.
First of all, you should use dried oregano in the salad, then it's a traditional Greek salad. Now, for the stake, you should squeeze a little fresh lemon juice at the end. It goes perfect with the dried oregano and it is the classic way of serving stake in Greece. It's really worth it!
As a greek we indeed use oregano but mostly pork(pancetta) and French fries
I can see the future Guga title:
WATER, "God's MSG", so amaaaazzzing guys!
This will go down as the healthiest meal Guga has ever made on camera.
always throwing seed oils into everything
Gugas first vegan side dish! there's a glitch in the matrix
Vegetarian but oh so close to being vegan. The feta cheese haha but yes it felt weird not seeing him add steak as a topping or something
Also yogurt
I love that Greek salad!! One of my favorite easy salads
You used garlic sauce which is syrian food (they call it toum and it's an emulsification of garlic and oil), it pairs very well with falafel.
The greeks would use tzatziki which is straigned yogurt, crushed raw garlic, and cucumber that has been grated and strained.
The guys are such babies whenever something healthy touches their plate.
What you mean? Meat is the healthiest thing you can eat. Has all the required substances to live a long and healthy life. But good luck eating only meat all the time; cost too much.🤣
@@SCMSDneed fiber
Americans thru and thru
@@SCMSD Do you really believe what you wrote?
@@schleykov The guy's literally what Costanza was joking about: "It's not a lie if you believe it."
Love your content guga thanks for all the effort making it all
I've used oregano on many dishes I cook, including steaks occasionally. Love the flavor it gives, happy to see Guga give it a try :)
Oregano and thyme originated from Greece and there are many different types of both herbs. There actually a type of oregano that also has thyme notes, or a thyme type that has lemon notes. When in Greece stop by at a herb shop and ask for Steak herbs. There’s a whole new world there of unbelievable seasonings
Try combo of equal portion: dry oregano, savory (another Greek oregano used in the KFC spice mix), fresh or dry thyme and fresh rosemary
Feedback: As a greek i would like to say that you need to put the dried oregano after the steak. Also, the steak is usually pork, and we usually put it in charcoal and eat it grilled. We also dont really use falafel and garlic sauce for a side dish, we usually put fries, baked potatoes, or white rice. For the sauce we put tzatziki, its a delicious greek paste that is made by: Yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and some kind of acidity, usually it being lemon or vinegar. WARNING: Do not put oregano in tzatziki or the greeks will find you. If you want to make tzatziki look fancy just put some parsley on top.
Its simple but delicious. 😊
Greek pistachios are also really good hope you do pistachio cream soon
We always use oregano in Greece, usually fresh but its tricky, for better results you put it near the end of the end or after the cooking or else can give a sour taste..mixed with olive oil and sometimes lemon 😊
I'm a Greek. The reason that is better to use the dehydrated form of herbs (well, most of the time) is that most of them if they are used in fresh form in a high temperature cooking then their juices are been burnt and thus the somewhat acidic taste. Another way to use the dehydrated form of the herbs is to just drop them on top of the cooked food before serving while it is still hot. Also, keeping herbs in dehydrated form preserves the substances in them.
Day 19 of asking guga to dry age steaks in rendand paste
Well i would like to make two suggestions. First use the dry oregano in the last moments because it can get bitter when it's burnt second use the fresh oregano like the rosemary i mean when you give color to your steak in a pan put butter and fresh oregano and paste it on the steak
My favorite way to prepare a steak is to marinate it in the following mixture for several hours or up to overnight. Even the kids love it.
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
We use oregano with salt to salads, meats, pitas etc. Some cannot eat pepper, but everyone can eat oregano. We always use dried oregano, you should rub it between your fingers before adding it to your food, it releases flavour and aroma. You can store dried oregano for many months
“First of all damn” lol 😂
I would like to add that you get the best taste out of oregano by getting a few branches of fresh oregano, leaving it a dry and dark place to dry for a month or two and then, when you want to use it, crushing it a bit on a mortar & pestle. That way you don't lose the smell, the same way you do with pre-dried and pre-crushed herbs.
Guga saying he was skeptical about oregano and meat sounded to me like someone saying his skeptical about water being a more efficient way of loosing weight than drinking coca-cola light.
we pair oregano with many dishes. but mostly on grilled pork together with lemon as a finish after the grill leaving the oregano for long time get bitter easily so you have to use it on the final step
.we also like it on feta with olive oil . and also popular snack is toasted bread,olive oil,salt,oregano, with garlic grated on the bread itself
if you liked the supermarket oregano wait till you get your hands on wild handpicked and then dried oregano from the mountains of Crete.... This is THE BEST
Anytime I make a beef stew or vegetable beef soup I always add oregano. Blew my mind how good it was when I first discovered it! I ALWAYS stick to Frontier brand because they don’t irradiate or fresh if possible.
8:33 in Italy we call it "ORIGANO"
The dried oregano I feel like have a better and more concentrated taste. Ever since I saw it on a pizza as a kid and tried it man did I fall in love with it
Oregano is also great with scrambled eggs. And as all the Greeks (myself included) have already said. Is a must with grilled pork (pancetta)!!!
When I cooked for my parents, my mom couldn't take garlic. So for steaks, I would use salt, pepper, a light dusting of paprika and one other herb that I would change up. Usually coriander but sometimes Rosemary or thyme or you guessed.oregano. it worked well. I also recently on a whim made some chip dip with sour cream, balsamic, granulated garlic, and oregano (and of course a little salt and pepper). It came out pretty amazing.
Hummus and falafel are not traditionally Greek dishes, but in the U.S., they are often mistakenly considered as such.
The salad he prepared was a true Greek salad, unlike the typical lettuce-tomato salad commonly found in the U.S.
Greek living in the U.S.
as a greek i can say that we mostly use it with pork steaks
If you are going to go with Oregano, you might as well add Thyme and Rosemary, to basically get "Italian Seasoning".
Yes, but this was more Greek style! As it implies on the title. We use oregano in a lot of our dishes, without thyme and rosemary.
Also crush dried oregano just before or when you serve them. Their flavour comes from evaporating oil in the herb.
Thank you Guga. Now I know what to do with the big batch of Tzatziki that I made today (it was for a lunch with friends where we had oysters, snails, bruschetta and fried sardines with tzatziki. I'm gonna make falafel!
I always use ground dry oregano in my steaks and it’s awesome… try it in burgers exactly like the garlic, gives a great taste
I love the way you cook your steaks but, oh man, this salad looks also so good!
It is very interesting for the recipes of meat roasting of a Greek dish and support for your researching related to Greek food recipes thank you and I like your video❤❤
Always look forward to a new chapter in Gugas endless quest to make steak inedible to beef purists 😂😂😂
that hummus slap was gold
Made my own steak mix, rosemary, thyme, oregano, msg, salt, pepper, garlin and onion powder, low and slow and it comes out perfection
Season them after they're cooked. Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Dill, Thyme and Garlic Powder.
You should do a head to head comparison between all your BEST tasting experiments.
You’re welcome Angel & Leo 😂
I've used oregano with steaks before, and it does make it taste good!
I use thyme. I highly recommend it. A few crushed hazelnuts on top when serving. What is missing in gugas videos is some wine. Red meat without wine is sacrilege ! With the steaks we have sweet potatoes and spinach with garlic&fresh ginger. Formidable !
In pork oregano with lemon is the way to go. In beef and lamb it's thyme
Guga should go 3 months to Greece. Greece is pure foodheaven. Endless foods in so many directions and so much depth, layers of flavors, while every ingredient is if the highest quality.
Greeces produce is oure excellence, and distinguishes itself from any other nation.
That music..3:55.. hell yeah brother! Some good ol cleetus mcfarland vibes.
Would love to see you in a Greek grill restaurant in the future :)
Props to Guga making a tahini based sauce instead of the American tzatziki way to be authentic!
Aren't they both authentic, and just different sauces? I know the one he made is really common in turkey more than Greece, but still in both countries of course. What an amazing food region
@ I’ve only ever seen tzatziki in American gyros shops but I could be mistaken. I was raised on tahini and ate a lot of Greek cuisine so I got excited lol
@@narfenmeyer I live in Greece and let me tell you, Tzatziki is used everywhere. Unlike that Tahini based sauce he used, that no one uses in their food in greece xd
@narfenmeyer when I was in Greece the classic tzaziki was everywhere. I've actually only found this tahini, garlic, lemon sauce recently; great for kebabs!
The oregano used in North America is a completely different species than the one used in Greece. The American oregano is very bitter and less fragarant, while the Greek species is sweeter and more aromatic. You need to find oregano from Greece. It will change your life and tastebuds forever! Also, when grilling the Greek way, you would throw on the oregano at the end of cooking, not the beginning. In fact, there is a name for mixing Greek Koroneiki olive oil and oregano on top of meat after grilling or roasting. It is called Λαδορίγανη. You can make some intense things with that.
If you still are in Florida, there are 2 big Greek food specialty stores with these ingredients. One is in Miami, and one is in Tarpon Springs.
Oh gawd, the way the fresh oregano peeled off the sous vide steak was something I wish I didn't see LOL
Guga Foods, where the word "because" fits anywhere you like :) Gosh, I absolutely love this channel :)
In the Mediterranean (greek) salad known as villager's salad (χωριάτικη) you need to add oregano as well
2:20 If you don't have, you can use an ice cream scoop instead
Dried = more of the ingredient by volume because the water is removed, so you get a more concentrated flavor.
the substance that gives the herb its flavour, actually is dilluted when the herb is fresh, oregano in particular.
@dimz796 yup, when you dry something you remove the water, so it's essentially watered down.
It is classic in Greece and Turkiye. Great spice for meat.
My advice as Greek.. whenever you add dried oregano on meat..after cooking splash some fresh lemon juice on top..completely different experience..additionally if oregano is overcooked it creates a bitter aftertaste
I can't believe nobody dipped a bite of steak in that garlic sauce. You know that's gonna be fire.
I used to make a cheap chimichurri with dried oregano, minced garlic and olive oil.
As any chimichurri it goes very well with steaks
we use dry oregano , after the meat is cooked and not while cooking, also try it on fries and on feta cheese and of course in Greek salad
That stuff grows so well in my garden. It's a shame I don't use it nearly as much as I should
The reason fresh will not work in sous vide is to break cell walls you need the sous vide way hotter. 180-185 if I remember correctly. Dry the cell walls broke due to dehydration
Congrats to Leo on proposing! Seen at the miami heat game
These children need to expand their palette. Jesus lol (if the oregano wasn’t shipped from Greece.. it’s not oregano 😂)
What I've noticed when drying herbs is that the herbs keep a LOT more of their flavor if you keep the dried leaves whole (so no crushing them until you cook with them).
Τhis is not true for oregano, you have to crush it and store it to get the most intense flavor. But you are right about dried herbs like laurel for example
and here we are guga as a greek to oregano i prefer it in a greek salad which mean sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, feta cheese and of course oregano
This year you went to Italy, next year you have to visit Greece for food vlogs, visit rural areas and try as much meat as possible :D
I stopped mid-video to say that the oregano is powerful in taste you shouldn't use too much when dried.
One tip for the falafel, add a bit of soda water (sparkling? idk), it helps bring in some air so it's not dense inside.
By the way, if you liked the oregano, you should try za'atar, it's not really used for meat but works great with pita and olive oil, greek yogurt, or hummus!
It never gets old watching that stunning cross section when you cut into a steak bravo sir bravo
Cavendar's is great - a little extra oregano doesn't hurt, either. When I'm using a Greek profile on beef, I like to cube the steak and do it as a kebab or on a pita for a cheat day. Lemon juice is a great acidic replacement for the vinegar on the salad as well - and I'd also add garlic salt and black pepper.
Because of this video I have just realised that unlike Basil where the fresh herb is preferred over the dried one the Oregano is exactly opposite. I have never seen people preferring fresh Oregano because it tastes weak and too herbacious and yes Oregano goes really well with meat. It is a common herb used in Balkan culture (not just in Greek).
My parents collect wild oregano every year and they dry it out. I am telling you this thing SMELLS insane and goes very well with everything roasted (especially pork). They ask me from work to bring em stock everytime I go back home.
A "Best Of" the Side Dishes from both channels. With Angel & Leo presenting.
Been using oregano for meats and especially steak for a long while. I love it.
I think you should try dry brining with dried and fresh oregano. Dicing up the fresh oregano. That would be an interesting spin on this experiment.
Greetings from Greece, oven beef liver with olive oil oregano and lemon today with bread of course and Greek salad (no cheese or olives)
Put the oregano at the end, otherwise it leaves a bitter taste. Also try oregano, fresh lemon and virgin olive oil when cooking the meat. Also the salad is called xoriatiki salad, it’s the Creek name.
That knife is so cool. I love damascus.
Guga! Use Sardinian MSG Pecorino cheese or mullet bottarga. And want Mau Mau in the video 🎉🎊😜😊
Dried oregano always work better, the fresh one will taste bitter especially when boiled.
Hint 1: You always add oregano just before service and not during cooking (gets bitter).
Hint 2: Oregano is also added on top to the salad you made!
Hint 3: Try it with Chips/French fries!!
Mate, oregano with meat dry, you could use it with beef but we don't (as far as I know) but it is perfect for grilled pork steaks and chicken. If you liked oregano now you must try throumbi, it's similar with oregano but in my opinion better (try some pork or chicken souvlaki - skewer with tzatziki).