How to Make the World's Best Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 cups Greek Yogurt
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
• About 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
• 1 T finely chopped fresh dill
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. If Greek yogurt is not what you have, set plain yogurt to drain for several hours, until it becomes thicker. Peel the cucumbers, halve them the long way, and use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds; toss the seeds away. If you are working with small seedless cucumbers or European cucumbers that barely have seeds, you can leave this part alone.
2. Cut the cucumbers into slices, transfer them to a colander, scatter over 1 T salt, and leave them for 30 minutes so the excess moisture can come out. Drain them thoroughly, then pat them dry with a paper towel.
3. Fit a food processor with the steel blade, then add the cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few turns of black pepper. Run the machine until everything is nicely combined, then fold that cucumber mixture into the yogurt. Taste it first, then add salt only if it needs it.
4. Chill the sauce in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving, which gives the flavors time to come together. That rest really matters here.
5. Store it in the refrigerator for a few days or more. Each time you use it, pour off any liquid that has collected and stir it back to a smooth consistency.