A profound, slow-baked, one-pot Sunday staple. It involves braising bone-in meat (usually beef or lamb) in a spiced tomato sauce until meltingly tender, then adding kritharaki (orzo) directly into the boiling meat juices in the oven. The pasta absorbs all the fat and liquid, swelling into a dense, savory, almost risotto-like mass.
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the meat. In a heavy oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Brown the meat chunks aggressively on all sides. Remove meat and set aside.
Sauté Aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped onions to the fat and sauté until soft (5 mins ). Add the garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute until the paste darkens.
Deglaze. Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom. Let the alcohol off.
The . Return the meat to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, cinnamon stick, allspice, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the broth. Bring to a , cover, and reduce heat to low. on the stove for 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is very tender.
Toast the pasta (Optional but recommended). In a separate dry skillet, toast the dry orzo for 2-3 minutes until slightly golden. This prevents it from turning to mush when .
Assemble for . Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the pot from the stove. Pour the remaining 3 cups of hot broth into the pot with the meat. Stir in the toasted orzo.
The . Place the uncovered pot into the oven. for 25-30 minutes . Stir it gently exactly once halfway through to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom. It is done when the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid (it should still be slightly saucy, not completely dry).
The Finish. Remove from the oven and immediately cover it with a towel for 10 minutes . The pasta will continue to absorb liquid. Serve hot, buried under a mountain of grated Kefalotyri cheese.
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