Youvetsi (Greek Beef and Orzo Bake)

Youvetsi is the dish I make when I want a one-pot Greek dinner that satisfies both my Portuguese instinct for a good tomato-braised meat and Lucas’s very specific pasta requirements. Chunks of beef go into the oven with tomatoes, cinnamon, and orzo, and everything bakes together until the pasta has soaked up all the meaty, spiced sauce.

It belongs to the same warm, cinnamon-and-tomato world as avgolemono, the lemony chicken soup already on the site, though youvetsi is heartier and built for a Sunday when you want the oven doing the work instead of you standing at the stove.

This is a genuine one-dish family dinner in our house. Even the orzo at the edges of the pan, the pieces that go a little crisp against the baking dish, get fought over, which in my experience is the real sign a casserole has succeeded.

Youvetsi Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 2 hours · Total: 2 hours 20 minutes · Servings: 6 · Calories: ~520 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup beef broth, plus more as needed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Grated kefalotyri or parmesan cheese, for serving
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, about 3 minutes per side, and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the same pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the crushed tomatoes, broth, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and allspice. Return the beef to the pot.
5. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the beef is very tender, checking halfway to make sure there is enough liquid (add more broth if it looks dry).
6. Remove the pot from the oven, stir in the orzo and 1 1/2 cups additional hot water or broth, making sure the pasta is submerged.
7. Return, uncovered, to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, stirring once halfway through.
8. Let rest 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Serve topped with grated cheese and parsley.

Recipe Notes

• Chuck roast is ideal here because the long braise breaks down its connective tissue; leaner cuts will turn dry over 2 hours in the oven.
• Keep an eye on the orzo stage — it can go from perfectly tender to mushy quickly, and ovens vary.
• If the dish looks dry when you add the orzo, add extra hot broth rather than water for the best flavor.
• Leftovers thicken considerably in the fridge; loosen with a splash of broth when reheating.