Effortless Beef Giouvetsi Orzo (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
200 g orzo pasta (swap for gluten-free if needed)
02 -
2 dried bay leaves
03 -
0.25 g ground nutmeg
04 -
0.25 g ground allspice
05 -
0.5 g ground cinnamon (or pop in a cinnamon stick, just take it out after)
06 -
410 g canned crushed tomatoes
07 -
720 ml beef broth (or you can use chicken or veggie broth instead)
08 -
60 ml dry red wine (beef broth works too if you’d rather)
09 -
45 g tomato paste
10 -
3 cloves garlic, minced nice and fine
11 -
1 medium carrot, shredded (skip this if you don’t want)
12 -
1 medium onion, chopped up
13 -
Freshly ground black pepper, as much as you like
14 -
Salt, as needed
15 -
450 g beef chuck, cut into small cubes
16 -
30 ml olive oil
# Instructions:
01 -
Toss out the bay leaves. Add more salt or pepper if it’s missing something. Dish up while it’s nice and hot, and if you want, throw on some chopped parsley or cheese over the top.
02 -
Tip in the orzo and bump up the heat until it’s bubbling again. Let it cook for 10 minutes with the lid off, give it a gentle stir here and there. You can also pop it in the oven, covered, for 10–15 minutes, or just do it on HIGH in a slow cooker for that time.
03 -
Bring everything to a rolling boil. Switch the heat down, cover it, and let it bubble quietly for 2–4 hours till the meat’s super soft. You can also stick it in a 140°C oven with the lid on for the same amount of time or use a slow cooker—let it go 8–10 hours on LOW or 4–6 hours on HIGH.
04 -
Toss the browned beef back into the pot along with the broth, crushed tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Give it all a good stir.
05 -
Splash in the wine to loosen up the crispy bits stuck at the bottom, using your wooden spoon. The wine will sizzle and pick up amazing flavor.
06 -
Stir in the chopped garlic and tomato paste. Keep stirring for about a minute to marry the flavors.
07 -
Tip in the chopped onion and cook it till it’s soft, about 5 minutes. If you’re using the carrot, add that in now for another quick minute.
08 -
Pour the olive oil into a big oven-safe pot and heat it over medium-high. Dab the beef with salt and pepper, then brown each side for 2–4 minutes. Move the beef out once you’ve got a nice crust.
# Notes:
01 -
If you want a richer taste, swap out some broth for wine and let it simmer down before piling in the rest of your stuff.
02 -
Sprinkle on fresh parsley or any Greek cheese you like, such as feta, kefalotyri, or mizithra, for a classic touch.
03 -
Keep extra portions in a sealed container in the fridge to stay fresh.