Youvetsi - Greek Lamb Stew with Orzo

Slow cooking (not to be confused with slow cooker cooking) is about intentionality, calm and patience. Since I first came across The Slow Food Movement, my friends and I have been captivated by the philosophy. This recipe comes from my friend Jasser. As in all things that require time, and little else, the Greek kitchen is full of such recipes. Youvetsi is a comfort food dish where the lamb meat is slowly cooked in an olive oil and tomato based sauce until it is incredibly tender. It is a humble dish made with a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients

3-4 lbs lamb front cut into stew size pieces

3 large onions, chopped

2 carrots, diced

1 large leek, coarsely chopped

1 tsp salt, al gusto

1 tsp pepper, al gusto

1 allspice, al gusto

1/4 cup (60 mL) Greek olive oil

2 3/4 cups (680 mL) tomato sauce

6 cups (1,875 mL) boiling water (or bone broth)

4-5 “ cinnamon stick

2-3 tbsp Greek oregano

2 cloves, ground

500 grams orzo

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Trim any excess fat from your lamb pieces. Season the lamb evenly with the salt, pepper and allspice.

  • Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan (I like to use my cast iron pot) so that you can brown the lamb pieces. Add enough oil so that it is approximately 1/4 inch deep in pan.

  • Cook lamb pieces until all sides are nicely browned, approximately 4– 5 minutes per side. You are not fully cooking the lamb; you simply want it browned on all sides. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan.

  • Once all of the lamb is browned, transfer the pieces to your roasting pan (or lasagne pan), and add the chopped veggies.

  • To the pan add the olive oil, tomato sauce, and the boiling water. Sprinkle in the cinnamon sticks and add the cloves if you are using them.

  • Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil and place it in the bottom rack of your oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. Check your lamb for doneness by inserting a fork into one of the pieces; if you can easily insert your fork and separate out a small pieces of the lamb, it is ready.

  • Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and uncover it. Increase your oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the uncooked orzo. Stir carefully. Return pan to oven, uncovered.

  • After 10 minutes, carefully stir the orzo in the pan as it will have a tendency to stick to the bottom. We found that the easiest way to do this was with a spatula (easy to scrape up the orzo pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan), using an oven mitt, while the pan was still in the oven. Alternatively you can place the pan onto the stove top, mix, and then return to the oven. Repeat this every 5 minutes for the next 15 minutes.

  • Note: The total cooking time after adding the orzo should be roughly 25 minutes.

  • If at any point after adding the orzo, your meal appears too dry, you can add a bit of boiling water or broth and mix well.

  • Remove from oven, let cool slightly and serve. Opa!

Greek Foods & Desserts, Middle Eastern, Wild Foods, LambKristeva Dowlinglamb, Greek Food, Mezze, Orzo