The Greek Food

Tag: beef

  • Giouvetsi with Beef

    Giouvetsi with Beef

    Giouvetsi is an old Greek recipe that Greeks used to do in the oven. As years went there were some small changes in the recipe but the essentials remained the same….and the taste of course.

    I remember when my mother was making us food when we were young she always had problems explaining to us how should we warm up the food as she was working and couldn’t come home on time. For Giouvetsi however it was much easier…you just take it from the oven where she left and start eating it as a maniac…(which we did)

    Giouvetsi recipe
    My Giouvetsi covered with cheese

    Giouvetsi it’s a typical Greek food that you can do it either with Beef, lamb or chicken and pasta – ideally kritharaki.

    Kritharaki is Greek style pasta which is a little bit longer than rice and usually you can find it in any kind of shop that is selling Middle East food.

    INGREDIENTS GIOUVETSI WITH BEEF

    • 1 kilo of Beef
    • 350gr of Orzo
    • 1 can of tomato juice
    • 1 Red onion chopped
    • Salt, Pepper and trimmed cheese to serve

    METHOD FOR GIOUVETSI

    1. Chop the meat into various sizes and preheat the oven to 160c.
    2. In a pot add a bit of Olive oil and heat the onion a bit for 10 minutes. Add the meat and continue until it becomes brownish from all sides.
    3. Remove it from the heat, take a good size oven pan and add it over there together with the tomato juice around 1-2 glasses of water, depending on your pan. Put it in the oven for around 2 hours.
    4. Later on remove it from the oven and add the orzo together with 2-3 spoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Use a spoon to make sure it goes all over the pan and focus that there is enough water to cover the past. If it doesn’t, then just add a bit more of warm water.
    5. Place it back to the oven on 180-200c and leave it there for 30 minutes more.  Orzo must not be melted but in the same time without having all the water evaporated.

    Serve it with trimmed cheese.

    Notes

    1. My mother –and always mothers advices count- told me that you can cook the pasta before as you do usually your pasta and then add them both in the oven in the same way. It is easier and makes the meat more tender as it doesn’t need to stay for too long in the oven. It’s a different way…but still good…
    2. Try adding some Feta cheese in the pasta when you put it in the oven….classic… 🙂
    giouvetsi
    Giouvetsi, Beef with Orzo in red sauce, sprinkled with Greek Feta Cheese
  • Casserole Beef with Peas

    Casserole Beef with Peas

    The following is a simple recipe for a casserole meat with peas. Its not basically a really Greek Food as I believe its more or less the same all around the world but we were doing it in my family so I have to consider it Greek.

    Ok here it goes

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil
    • 350gr of Onions finely cut
    • 1 clove of garlic
    • 1 tomato juice can
    • 1 vegetable stock cube
    • 300 gr of Peas
    • Salt and Pepper
    • 1200gr of Beef in cubes
    • 100ml of red wine
    casserole beef with peas
    Shiny peas with beef casserole

    HOW YOU DO IT?

    Just add Salt and Pepper to the beef.  In a big pot, add the olive oil and heat it up.

    Add the onions and the beef. Stir well until it becomes brownish from all sides. Add the garlic  and the tomato juice.

    Stir well for 2 mins and then throw in the glass of red wine. Lower the heat and let it boil for 2-3 minutes.  Add the peas and cover it with water.

    Continue to boil until the water vaporizes and the beef softens up.

    Tips: You can add deal on top of it as it creates a distinct flavour or garlic in the beginning for a more…”heavy” one.. You can add more vegetables like potatoes etc etc but that just increases the boiling time.

    Enjoy!