Beef Giouvetsi (Beef Orzo Pasta)

4.79 from 23 votes

Beef Giouvetsi is a delicious Greek beef and orzo pasta dish. This one is made on the stovetop. With a thick and glazy sauce like risottos'!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: beef, pasta, stew

Servings:

Calories: 632kcal

550 grams (19.4 ounce) beef chuck, chuck roll, or flatiron cut cut into 3 cm (1.2-inch) cubes
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
salt
pepper
a pinch of nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
50 grams (½ small) red onion minced
2 teaspoons tomato paste
40 ml red wine
180 grams (6.3 oz) whole peeled canned tomatoes you can use fresh tomatoes instead
250 ml beef or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 dried bay leaves
200 grams (1 cup) orzo pasta
Optional: grated Kefalotyri cheese to serve with

Add the canned tomatoes to a small food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
If using fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones simply remove the stems and blend the same way.
Pat dry the meat with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper, ground allspice, and pinch of nutmeg. Rub the seasonings all around the meat.
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides.
Drop the heat to medium and stir in the onions. Cook for a minute stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom as you go.
Add the tomato paste and cook stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes for the paste to caramelize.
Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan. Wait for a minute for the alcohol to evaporate. Then stir in the blended tomatoes.
Pour in the stock along with 2 cups of boiling water. Add also the bay leaves and paprika. Wait until it starts to simmer then put the lid on and turn the heat to low.
Simmer for about 1 hour or until the meat feels tender enough.
Then add 2 extra cups of boiling water, season with salt and pepper, and add the orzo. Put the lid back on and continue simmering for 20 minutes more. Stirring occassionally so the pasta won't stick to the bottom.
If the pasta is still too al dente add an extra splash of water (about ¼ cup) and remove the pan from heat. The orzo will keep absorbing the water while it sits. So give it a minute or two of resting time and ideally serve right away with some grated cheese on top.