Giouvetsi (Greek Beef Stew with Orzo)

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 1/2 lb diced beef

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup (100 ml) red wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can (14 oz / 400 g) crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock

2 cups (400 g) orzo

1/2 cup (40 g) grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive in a heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven and add the diced beef when the oil is hot.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until the meat is browned on all parts. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your pot, to avoid overcrowding.

When the beef is cooked, remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same pot together with the onion and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.

Pour the red wine and cook for 1-2 minutes until the liquid mostly evaporates.

Stir in the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes together with the nutmeg, bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

Pour the chicken broth and stir well to combine. Add the cooked beef back to the pot and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

Stir in orzo and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Make sure you stir constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add some extra chicken stock if it looks too dry.

Stir in the grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan and adjust the seasoning.

Serve hot with some extra grated cheese on top if you like.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 549
• Total Fat: 30 g
• Saturated Fat: 11 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 115 mg
• Sodium: 566 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 32 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 41 g