← Nouns Cooking · Greek

Ingredients

• 1 kg stewing beef or veal shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks
• 100 ml Olive oil
• 2 Red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 200 ml dry red wine
• 1 can tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1.5 l hot water
• 500 g Orzo (kritharaki)
• salt and black pepper
• 100 g grated kefalotyri or crumbled feta, to serve

Method

1. Pat the beef dry and season it. Heat the oil in a large casserole over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches for 6–8 min per batch, until well coloured. Set aside.
2. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onions in the same pot for 6 min until soft, then add the garlic for 1 minute. Return the beef, pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 min.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, bay leaf, sugar and 500 ml of the hot water. Cover and simmer gently for 1½ hours, until the beef is very tender.
4. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Transfer the beef and sauce to a roasting dish or clay pot (or keep it in the casserole if it is ovenproof). Add the remaining 1 litre of hot water, stir in the orzo and season well.
5. Bake uncovered for 30–35 min, stirring once halfway, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. It should still look a little saucy, as it thickens as it stands.
6. Rest for 5 min, remove the cinnamon and bay, and serve with plenty of cheese on top.

Tips

• Lamb shoulder or chicken thighs work the same way; chicken needs only 40 minutes of simmering and must reach 75°C (165°F).
• If the orzo looks dry before it is cooked, add a splash more boiling water.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

My Greek Dish Dimitra's Dishes