Alexa
- Yiouvetsi,lamb with orzo
- Description
Slowly cooked lamb shoulder or shank in a aromatic tomato sauce. Served with orzo pasta and just enough mitzithra cheese to complement!
Τime
Preparation time: 10'
Cooking Time: 90'
Total Time: 100'
Main ingredients
Cooking Method
Oven
Yields
4-6 Servings
Ingredients
lamb shoulder | 4 lbs(2 kg) |
greek extra virgin olive oil | ¼ cup |
white onion,small dice | 1½ |
celery stalks,small dice | 2 |
garlic cloves,finely chopped | 1 |
tomato paste | 1 tablespoon |
mavrodafni or any sweet wine | ¾ cup |
tomato dice or puree | 8oz(230 grams) |
orzo pasta | 1 lbs(500grams) |
ice cubes of beef or veggies stock or water | as in video |
mitzithra cheese (or parmesan),grated | ½ cup |
onion pique | 1 |
Onion pique
onion | ½ |
bayleaf | 1 |
cloves | 2 |
How to cook
- Put the pot on the stove, allow to heat; season lamb cubes with salt and pepper
- Add the olive oil and the lamb, cook until brown in all sides (once placed in the pot, do not move until each side has turned brown)
- Add onions until golden brown
- Add the paste and stir all ingredients for 1 minute (this will allow the tomato paste to remove the bitter flavor)
- Pour in the wine and reduce by half
- Cover with beef or veggie stock, or water
- Add tomato puree, dice
- Add onion pique
- Cover with foil or lid and put in the oven at 280 F (140 C) for 1½ hours or until meat is tender, depending on the size of your cubes, if you are using lamb shanks is should be 2-3 hours but worth the wait!)
- Test the tenderness by poking with a fork, if it falls apart it is ready
- Add the orzo, cover and cook for 15 more minutes (check if there is liquid for the orzo to absorb, if there is not any, add some hot stock or water, 2 fingers above the complete covered meat)
- Take out from the oven, add the ice cubes, while stirring, to stop the cooking process (this will assist in maintaining the starch from gelatinizing)
- Sprinkle with mitzithra or any dry salty cheese eg. parmesan