Thessaloniki-Style Giouvetsi me Kritharaki (Γιουβέτσι με Κριθαράκι)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •heavy clay giouvetsi pot or deep ovenproof baking dish, 30cm
• •wide heavy casserole with lid, 28cm
• •wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the veal

   Pat the veal dry and salt it lightly. Heat 50ml of the olive oil in a wide heavy casserole over medium-high heat, then brown the meat in batches until it has a deep color on several sides, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Don't crowd the pot. Pale meat gives you a pale sauce, and giouvetsi deserves better.

   If the bottom darkens too fast, lower the heat a little. You want browned bits, not scorched oil.
2. 2

   Build the sauce

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions to the same pot with another spoonful of oil if it looks dry, and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then the tomato paste, letting it fry until it turns brick red. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom clean with a wooden spoon.

3. 3

   Braise the meat

   Return the veal and its juices to the pot. Add the grated tomato, cinnamon stick, allspice, bay leaf, pepper, and 500ml hot stock or water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 1 hour 20 minutes, until the meat is almost tender but not falling apart. Taste the sauce and correct the salt now, before the pasta takes it in.

4. 4

   Heat the oven

   Heat the oven to 190C. Transfer the meat and sauce to a clay giouvetsi pot or deep ovenproof baking dish if your casserole is not meant for the oven. The sauce should look generous, not tight. Remove the cinnamon stick, allspice, and bay leaf.

5. 5

   Add the kritharaki

   Stir in the kritharaki, the remaining 30ml olive oil, and 350ml hot stock or water. The pasta should be just covered by liquid, with the meat settled through it rather than sitting dry on top. This is the one method that decides the dish: kritharaki goes in late, because it swells fast and keeps drinking even after the pot leaves the oven.

   Keep the liquid hot when you add it. Cold liquid stops the cooking and makes the orzo cook unevenly.
6. 6

   Bake until plump

   Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes so the kritharaki cooks evenly. It is ready when the orzo is tender but still shaped, the sauce is glossy, and a little liquid remains around the edges. If it looks dry before the pasta is done, add another 100ml hot water.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Rest the giouvetsi for 10 minutes before serving. The kritharaki will settle and pull the sauce around itself. Spoon it into warm shallow bowls with grated kefalotyri or graviera and a little parsley if you like. Serve at once, while it is saucy.

Chef Tips

• •Choose veal shoulder, chuck, or another cut with enough connective tissue to soften during the braise. Lean fillet has no business here. It will dry out and charge you extra for the disappointment.
• •Kritharaki keeps absorbing sauce after baking. If you are cooking ahead, stop the bake a few minutes early and loosen it with hot stock when reheating.
• •Kefalotyri is the old sharp finish, but graviera is a good Greek kitchen substitute. Feta is for the table beside it if you want it, not crumbled into the pot.
• •Serve giouvetsi with a bitter green salad, horta, or cabbage dressed with lemon and olive oil. The dish is rich, so the plate beside it should be clean and sharp.

Advance Preparation

• •Cut and salt the veal up to 12 hours ahead, then keep it covered in the refrigerator.
• •The meat can be braised one day ahead without the kritharaki. Reheat it gently, add hot liquid, then bake with the pasta just before serving.
• •Grate the cheese and chop the parsley a few hours ahead, keeping them covered and chilled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 430g)