Greek Youvetsi Recipe (Beef with Orzo)

greek youvetsi recipe with orzo, beef and tomato sauce in a large dutch oven.

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Greek Youvetsi Recipe (Beef with Orzo)

Make this easy Greek Youvetsi recipe with tender beef, tomato sauce, and baked orzo. Simple, hearty, and full of flavor - perfect comfort food for any day.

Prep Time40

Cook Time3

Course: Beef, Pork and Lamb, Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: servings

Calories: 736kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Large Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot
Wooden spoon
Pot for heating the stock (I use a jug pot for easy pouring)

Ingredients

4.5 lbs beef short ribs Note 1
fine sea salt and ground black pepper
1-3 tablespoons vegetable oil as needed
2 medium onions
2 medium carrots
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ cup red wine Note 2
1 can crushed tomatoes
½ tablespoon granulated sugar
2 bay leaves
scant 1 cup beef stock Note 3
1 teaspoon oregano Note 4
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
10.5 oz orzo
2 ¾ cups beef stock

US - EU

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C.
Prepare the beef: Remove bones and excess fat from the beef ribs (Note 3). Cut the meat into 2-inch/5 cm cubes and season with salt and pepper. You’ll have about 2.2–2.6 lbs/1–1.2 kg of meat left.
4.5 lbs beef short ribs + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Brown the beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the pot and brown the beef in batches (about 3). Add a bit more oil if needed. Turn the pieces so they brown evenly. Remove from the pot.
1-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Chop vegetables: While the meat browns, finely chop the onions and garlic and dice the carrots.
2 medium onions + 2 medium carrots + 3 garlic cloves
Sauté vegetables: Add a little more oil if needed and cook the vegetables for about 8 minutes, until soft. Add a splash of water now and then to prevent sticking.
Add ingredients: Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and reduce for about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot. Return the beef to the pot, add the tomatoes, ¾ cup beef stock, sugar, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and pepper.
2 tablespoons tomato paste + ¾ cup red wine + 1 can crushed tomatoes + ½ tablespoon granulated sugar + 2 bay leaves + scant 1 cup beef stock + 1 teaspoon oregano + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Bake the youvetsi for 2 ½ hours.
Heat beef stock: Shortly before time is up, heat the remaining stock in a pot.
2 ¾ cups beef stock
Finish baking youvetsi: Add the orzo and hot stock to the pot, cover, and return it to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until the orzo is cooked and the beef is tender.
10.5 oz orzo

Notes

Meat: You’ll need 4.5 lbs of beef short ribs, weighed with bones. After removing the bones, you’ll have about 2.2–2.6 lbs/1–1.2 kg of meat.
Dry red wine: It adds extra flavor, but you can leave it out if you prefer. Simply skip that step.
Beef stock: Scant 1 cup + 2 ¾ cups (200 ml + 650 ml) – homemade or store-bought; use low-sodium to control salt.
Oregano: Greek oregano is ideal for its distinctive, robust flavor. If you don’t have it, you can use regular oregano or summer savory- summer savory is actually closer in taste to Greek oregano than regular oregano.
Leftover bones: Use the bones to make stock. Follow the Lamb Stock recipe - it works the same way. If you don’t have enough bones, add others you have (even chicken - I always keep some in the freezer).

Nutrition