Giouvetsi - Greek Lamb With Orzo

Step 1

Preheat oven to 220°C / 428°F.

Step 2

In a deep baking pan add the meat. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1 finger of water and a splash of red wine. Season the meat with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper, and aluminum foil on top so no steam escapes while baking. You can also use a dutch oven or baking dish with a lid if you own one.

Step 3

Bake the meat for 1 hour and a half.

Step 4

After the 1 hour of baking, start preparing the sauce.

Step 5

Using a hand grater, grate the tomatoes in a bowl and discard the skins. Set the bowl aside.

Step 6

Heat a splash of olive oil in a cooking pot over high heat.

Step 7

Cook the onion and garlic until softened and golden in color.

Step 8

Stir in the grated tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes more.

Step 9

Pour in 2 liters of water and wait until it starts to boil. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer the sauce until the meat is cooked.

Step 10

Remove meat from the pan and set aside in a dish. Add the orzo in the pan making sure it spreads evenly all around. Place the meat on top with its browned side facing down.

Step 11

Pour the sauce over the meat and orzo. If your pan isn't deep enough for the whole amount of sauce, keep the remaining sauce aside to add once the first half is absorbed.

Step 12

Reduce the oven's temperature to 200°C / 392°F.

Step 13

Bake this time uncovered for about 30-40 minutes or until orzo is cooked. In the meanwhile don't forget to add the sauce that remained and to stir the orzo every now and then so it won't get lumpy.

Step 14

Serve right away. If you need to reheat make sure you add a splash of water to it.