Beef Giouvetsi with Orzo

📝 Ingredients

• 900 g braising beef, cut into 4 cm cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil (1 for searing the beef, 1 for the onions)
• 2 brown onions (about 150 g each)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tomato purée (40 g)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 cinnamon stick + 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 beef stock cube + 1100 ml hot water (500 ml for simmering, 600 ml for the orzo)
• 400 g orzo
• 150 g feta
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Flameproof casserole dish with lid
• Large ovenproof dish (about 30 × 25 cm)
• Chopping board
• Kitchen knife
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring jug

📖 Steps

1. Pat the beef cubes thoroughly dry with kitchen paper: wet meat boils instead of browning. Season with salt and pepper. Peel and slice the onions, chop the garlic, then dissolve the stock cube in the hot water.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the casserole dish over a high heat. Sear the beef in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding the pieces, for 4 to 5 minutes per batch, until well browned on all sides. Set aside on a plate.
3. Lower to a medium heat, add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom with the wooden spoon to lift the browned bits, until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and tomato purée and stir for 1 minute.
4. Return the beef and its juices, add the chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano and 500 ml stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and leave to cook gently for 1 hour 30 minutes over a low heat, stirring every 30 minutes.
5. Check if it's done: the tip of a knife should slide into the meat with no resistance; if not, cook for another 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (170 °C fan) a quarter of an hour before the end of simmering.
6. Remove the cinnamon and bay leaves. Pour the beef and its sauce into the large dish, add the uncooked orzo and the remaining 600 ml stock, heated to a simmer, then stir so all the orzo is submerged in the sauce.
7. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed almost all the liquid. The dish should still be a little saucy: the orzo keeps soaking up the sauce as it rests.
8. Crumble the feta over the top and return to the oven for 5 minutes, just until it warms and turns lightly golden. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving straight from the dish, in the middle of the table.