Greek Baked Beef Giouvetsi

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 180°C. Cut 600 g beef chuck into 2 cm cubes and pat completely dry with paper towels. Finely chop 150 g onion and mince 15 g garlic. Measure 300 g orzo pasta, 400 g crushed tomatoes, 45 ml olive oil, 100 g feta cheese, and 800 ml warm water so everything is ready beside your stove.

2. 2

   Heat 45 ml olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes in a single layer and sear for 6 to 8 minutes until browned on all sides. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Transfer the browned meat onto a side plate, leaving the savoury pan juices behind.

3. 3

   In the same pot over medium heat, cook the chopped onion and garlic for 4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add 400 g crushed tomatoes and 800 ml warm water, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits. Return the beef, cover, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 35 minutes until tender.

4. 4

   Carefully pour the simmering beef sauce mixture and 300 g uncooked orzo into a large deep baking dish or Dutch oven. Stir well so the orzo is evenly submerged in the hot tomato liquid. If the sauce looks too thick, pour in a splash of warm water so the pasta has enough moisture to cook evenly.

5. 5

   Transfer the baking dish uncovered into the preheated oven and bake at 180°C for 25 minutes. Carefully stir the contents halfway through cooking with a wooden spoon so the orzo does not stick to the bottom of the dish. The pasta should become tender and absorb most of the rich tomato gravy.

6. 6

   Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes at room temperature to allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Crumble 100 g feta cheese evenly over the top. Serve piping hot straight from the baking dish into warm shallow bowls with extra freshly ground black pepper.