Greek Beef Stew (Giouvetsi)

Greek Beef Stew combines chunks of meat and orzo cooked in a seasoned tomato sauce. Greek Beef Stew takes comfort food to a new level.

There is something to be said about one pot dishes. Aside from the obvious, all done in one pot, the flavors from all the ingredients get a chance to get to know each other on a personal level. From start to finish, resulting in a flavor bomb.

Ingredients for Greek Beef Stew

1 1/2 lb. boneless beef chuck, cubed

2 Tablespoons, Extra Virgin Olive Oil + 1 Tablespoon butter

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup, red wine

1 jar of Passata

2 bay leaves

2 cups beef broth + 1 cup water

2 cups orzo, uncooked

Salt and pepper, to taste

This Greek Beef Stew is going to taste like it has been on the stove all day. Back when my Yia-Yia could still cook, she would use lamb shoulder instead. Greeks sure do love their lamb however if you didn’t grow up eating it you will most likely not like it. That’s another reason I love this dish is because you can use chicken, perhaps sausage (ohh, I am going to try sausage next time) or any meat that you like.

I am telling you the smell in her kitchen was something out of a Greek restaurant in Athens. It sounded like there was a whole staff in her kitchen helping her, but nope. This woman owned it. The day before she would make Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolamades) and Spinach Pie (Spanakopita) which was always on the table next to these plump black olives and barrel feta straight from NYC. A lot of Greeks live there, including my 2nd, 3rd and 4th cousins (I probably have more to be honest).

Greek Beef Stew Chuck

Boneless chuck is a beautiful piece of meat. Little prep, big flavor. Let’s dive into this. Get yourself a large stock pot and add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and butter. Turn the heat to med-high. Meanwhile, cut your chuck roast into chunks seasoning both sides with salt and pepper.

Once the oil is hot, carefully place the pieces in the pot being careful not to overcrowd it. You will do this in 2 batches to ensure you get a beautiful, brown crust on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Sautéing the Veggies

Remove seared meat to a plate and turn down the heat. If you haven’t done so already, dice up the onion and carrots along with the garlic. Add the onion and carrots to the pot returning the heat to medium. Stir to combine. Cook until the onions become translucent and the carrots a bit tender, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic cooking for another minute.

Liquid Gold

Start by adding the red wine, scraping up any meat pieces that stayed for the after party. Cook until the wine reduces by half then add the Passata, stirring until combined.

If you are wondering what the difference is between Passata and canned tomato sauce, it really boils down to one thing. Passata is made by seeding and straining uncooked tomatoes while canned sauce is cooked with, maybe, some spices. Passata is pretty much a bolder, more tomato taste than the tomato sauce.

Continue by adding in the broth, water, spices and the meat along with any juices that accumulated in the bowl. Give this Greek Beef Stew a nice mix and cover.

Cover and cook on low for an hour. Please check in with your soon to be masterpiece every now and again, stirring everything around to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Your house is going to start to smell like you have your own Yia-Yia cooking in your kitchen.

After an hour your meat should almost be fork tender. Your final step is to add in the uncooked orzo.

Stir, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the orzo is done. If, for any reason, you need to add more liquid to finish cooking the orzo, go ahead and add a little more water. It’s no big deal. You most likely had the heat too high when cooking the meat. Low and slow is the best method for this dish.

Well my friends, I’m hoping that you find this Greek Beef Stew just as comforting as my family does. It really is a show stopper. Please enjoy. ~Christina