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Giovetsi - Greek Comfort Food

Giovetsi Greek Comfort Food

Giovetsi is meat cooked in a tomato broth with orzo pasta.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 6
Calories 646 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Pressure cooker or Pot
  • 1 Pot
  • 1 Electrical chopper or blender

Ingredients
  

  • 5 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1000 g Beef (leg, boneless) (2.2 lb)
  • 2 Onions, medium
  • 500 ml White wine (2 cups)
  • 2 Tomatoes medium size ,fresh tomato juice
  • 125 ml Passed tomato (½ cup)
  • 500 ml Water (2 cups)
  • 2 Beef Stock cubes
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Sugar or Honey
  • 3 Bay leaves
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 7 Allspice / Pimenta
  • 500 g Orzo / Rizoni (1.1 lb)
  • 1 litre Water (33.8 fl oz) to cook the Orzo/ Rizoni
  • Salt, if needed
  • Parmesan cheese , for serving

Instructions
 

  • Chop the onion.
  • In a electric chopper or blender add the 2 tomatoes to make tomato juice.
    tomato sauce
  • Boil 500 ml water.
  • In a large pot add olive oil and the cubes of meat.
    Brown for 4-5 minute.
    meat
  • Then remove the meat from the pot
  • Add the chopped onions and sauté until caramelized.
  • Place the meat back into the pot and add white wine, tomato juice, passed tomato, boiled water, bay leafs, cinnamon stick, beef stock cubes, pepper, all spice and sugar or honey.
    meat
  • If you use a pressure cooker let it cook for 1½ hour.
    If you use a regular pot: Use the lid on and cook until the meat is tender and starts to fall apart, about 3.5 hours. If your sauce is too thick, add a little more hot water.
    When the meat is ready, remove the meat from the sauce and set aside.
    meat
  • Let the sauce simmer for another 10 minutes and taste if you want to add a little extra salt and pepper or maybe half a stock cube.
  • In a large pot boil 1 litre of water with 1 tsp of salt and then add 500 g Orzo / Rizoni.
    Keep an eye on it and stir so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
    When most of the water has evaporated and the pasta is al dente (7 minutes ,about 2/3 of the package’s cooking time), add the tomato sauce.
    boiling orzo pasta
  • Let it cook for another 3 -4 minutes and finally add the meat pieces.
    making giovetsi
  • Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid. Don’t worry if it looks like there is too much liquid. As long as the orzo is cooked, you’re good.
    Let the dish sit for 5 to 10 minutes and you’ll find it will absorb some of the liquid.
  • Serve with some grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Keyword Comfort food, Greek, Meat, Orzo pasta