There are a few people taking part in today’s Sunday Supper who will be getting all excited about a certain movie coming out soon which has given today’s theme. As someone who rarely manages to see movies these days unless I am on a flight (and so it’s then restricted by how good the range of in-flight options are and how needy the kids are being), it’s probably not surprising I am not likely to be one of the first ones to see it. In fairness I have never been a huge movie-buff, but I’ll happily take any excuse to get excited about the Greek food it’s inspiring everyone to make. For me it was a nice way to remember some of the tasty food we had in Athens last year (and Cyprus, which shares many similar dishes), before deciding to make this delicious youvetsi, a Greek beef or lamb stew with orzo.
In all honesty I can’t really remember whether we had youvetsi or not on our trip as we had a few meals where we had a number of smaller dishes and I can’t remember every single one – it’s very common to have food in a mezze style with a range of small plates. Sometimes this is just cold dips like tzatziki and humous to start but a number of places continue this in to the warm, often meaty, dishes as well. We also had some meals we didn’t order from a menu so I didn’t get to see everything listed which is often what helps me remember what we had.
On top of that we were traveling with a toddler and a six-week old which while it largely worked out OK naturally had its challenges at times. I am sure sleep deprivation does things to your memory as well. Not to mention the fact that the amazing sites of Athens we were trying to see in a couple days can be distracting! Anyway whether we had youvetsi or not, it was something I was happy to find an excuse to make. Having already shared a favorite Greek dish, moussaka, I considered other dishes that were a bit better known or quicker, but then thought a slow-cooked meaty stew seemed perfect both for the Greek wedding theme and Easter. And while it takes a little time to cook, youvetsi is really easy – it’s pretty hands-off cooking.
How it’s made
All you need to do is brown the meat, soften the onion and garlic, deglaze the pan with wine (basically get all the good stuff stuck to the bottom) then add tomatoes, stock and a couple seasonings and leave it to cook the meat to tenderness. You can do all this in advance then just reheat before the last part, adding the orzo and letting it cook in the delicious sauce. Serve with a decent amount of freshly grated cheese (traditionally it would be kefalotyri but parmesan or pecorino work as an alternative) and enjoy.
This was a meal we all immediately loved, my toddler son even asked for more which is always a good sign. It’s got that warm, comforting feel but is not overly heavy. The orzo takes on the delicious flavor of the sauce, a lovely mix of meatiness and tomato as well as just enough cinnamon to lift it up with a slightly warm fragrance. Whether this description does it justice I don’t know, but believe me this is a truly delicious dish and has that flexibility of being made with either beef or lamb depending on your preference or what you have available. It’s definitely one that we’ll be adding to our regular rotation – give it a try and you may well have a new favorite, as we did.
Youvetsi (Greek beef or lamb and orzo stew)
A wonderfully comforting combination of orzo and slow cooked meat in a tomato-based sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef or lamb stew meat 900g, beef chuck or lamb shoulder probably best
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil or a little more as needed
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup red wine 120ml
- 14 oz chopped tomatoes 400g, 1 can
- 2 tsp tomato paste puree
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups stock
- 1 1/2 cups orzo 265g
- 1/2 cup kefalotyri approx, or or parmesan/pecorino
Instructions
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Season the meat with some salt and pepper. Warm half the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the meat on all sides to sear it, working in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan and removing to a plate as they are done.
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In the same pan, add the rest of the oil and soften the onions, adding the garlic after a minute. Cook until going translucent but not brown, around 3-5 minutes.
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Deglaze the pan with the wine - allow the alcohol to boil off and scrape the bottom to incorporate all the flavor into the sauce.
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Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and stock and add back the meat. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer then cook on low for around 1 hour or until tender, covered.
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Preheat oven to 350F/175C, add the orzo to the pan, mix through then bake for approx 25 minutes, uncovered, until orzo is tender and cooked.
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Serve with grated cheese on top.
Try these other Greek classic dishes:
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- moussaka
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- Greek marinated lamb
See all the other recipes to celebrate My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, thanks to Nichole of Casa de Crews for hosting –
Greek Appetizers:
- Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata) by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
- Greek-Style Sliders with Feta Aioli by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Mushroom, Kalamata Olive and Feta Stuffed Phyllo with Whipped Feta Dip by Pook’s Pantry
- Rosemary and Olive Grissini by What Smells So Good?
- Socca Pizza with Spinach, Roasted Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, and Feta by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Spanakopita Bites by My Imperfect Kitchen
- Tiropitas (Greek Cheese Triangles ) by Moore or Less Cooking
- Tyropita Appetizer Bites by The Freshman Cook
Greek Soups:
- Avgolemono Chicken Zoodle Soup by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Quick and Easy Greek Avgolemono Soup by Confessions of a Cooking Diva
- Shrimp Avgolemono with Spinach by Monica’s Table
- Vegetarian Magiritsa (Greek Easter Soup) by Palatable Pastime
Greek Breakfast:
- Baklava French Toast with Cinnamon Honey Syrup by A Mind Full Mom
Greek Main Dishes:
- Brizola (Greek-style Pork Chops) by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Chicken Greek Salad Flatbread by Family Foodie
- Greek Chirashi Sushi by NinjaBaker
- Greek Breakfast Wraps by Brunch-n-Bites
- Greek Meatball Salad by Magnolia Days
- Gyro Meatballs with Lemon Rice by Casa de Crews
- Kotopita (Greek Chicken Pie) by Curious Cuisiniere
- Mediterranean Meatball Gyros Sandwich by Life Tastes Good
- Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Roasted Vegetables by Food Lust People Love
- Souvlaki Chicken Wraps with Homemade Tzatziki by The Crumby Cupcake
- Youvetsi (Greek beef or lamb and orzo stew) by Caroline’s Cooking
Greek Side Dishes:
- Greek-style rice salad by Pine Needles In My Salad
- Greek Zucchini Fritters by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Homemade Tzatziki Sauce by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Spanakorizo by Feeding Big and More
Greek Desserts:
- Chocolate Baklava by The Chef Next Door
- Greek Lemon Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Greek Spice Cake by Our Good Life
- Greek Walnut Cake by Pies and Plots
- Greek Wedding Cookies – Kourabiethes/Kourabiedes by La Bella Vita Cucina
- Loukoumades – Greek Donuts by The TipToe Fairy
- Loukoumades (Greek honey fritters) by The Redhead Baker
Greek Beverages:
- Ouzito: The Greek Mojito by Hardly A Goddess
Plus Baked Shrimp with Feta plus More Greek Cuisine from Sunday Supper Movement
I have to say I am a bit jealous of your trip to Greece–somewhere I always have wanted to go. I would absolutely love this stew as well.
There are so many places in Greece that just ooze history, it’s fascinating to see. This stew is delicious, hope you enjoy!
Such an interesting recipe- I love a slow-cooked stew. I will have to try this while it’s still cold outside!
Thanks Barrie, it’s delicious – true it’s good while it’s cold but I have a feeling we’ll still like it when it’s warmer too!
I love everything about this dish! From the orzo to the wine to the chunks of meat! Greece is on my bucket list—lucky you!
Thanks Liz, it’s a great dish. Hope you make it to Greece some time – I had been to some of the islands as a child (one of the benefits growing up in Europe travel is easier) but it was great to see Athens, and I definitely appreciated the food more this time too though I do remember enjoying as a child too.
Looks like my kind of stew!
Thanks Cindy!
Weve made something similar here with rice and no heese (allergies). It’s divine, especially with lamb!
I agree, I love the lamb.
It’s raining today and this is the perfect thing to have for dinner.
Thanks Monica, yes definitely good for days like that!
This sounds like such a wonderful, comforting stew. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Sarah it really is – hope you enjoy!
Such a great stew for Spring before it gets too warm to enjoy such things!
Thanks! Indeed, Sue, it’s perfect for this time of year.
That is such a lovely description of the balanced warm flavours and fragrance of the dish. If it does not do the dish justice, I can only imagine how lovely it is! As part of a mezze, thus sounds just so delicious!
Thanks so much, it’s a really tasty dish!
This looks like a warm and hearty dish. I joined the Sunday Supper group but haven’t done anything with it yet. Where is the best place to start?
Thanks, Julie it is. Great you have joined Sunday Supper! I’d say look in the forum and see which upcoming events appeal, add your title and go from there! Let me know if I can help at all.
I haven’t heard of this dish before but it sounds delicious! I love how warming a stew is when it has cinnamon in.
Thanks Corina, it’s strangely unknown but is so tasty – I agree a little cinnamon does wonders!
I love seeing your Greek recipes – this looks delish and reminds me that I have some orzo I need to use up! Thanks for sharing on Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
Thanks Mollie, it’s a great way to use some orzo, that’s for sure!
saw this on the front page of your site and was taken by the name of the recipe and love the flavors here, my experience with this cuisine is limited to gyro meat (which I love), but this looks much more approachable than somehow concocting a huge vertical spit! thank you for this recipe!
Thanks Sabrina, I’m glad you decided to take a look, this is definitely one of our family favorites. And a great way to expand your experience of Greek food too.