Giouvetsi is a popular Sunday dish throughout Greece. It can be prepared with meat, seafood or with mushrooms and vegetables.

For 5-6 servings

Ingredients

• 800 g – 1000 g boneless beef, cut into large cubes
• 500 g kritharaki
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• Fresh parsley (garnish)
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 400 g strained tomatoes
• 150 mL dry red wine
• 200 mL extra virgin olive oil
• approx. 1 L water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp thyme
• salt
• Pepper

Preparation & Cooking

1. Heat a large saucepan over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the onions, carrots and leeks. Stir for 5 minutes until they soften and caramelise. Then put the vegetables in a pot on the side.
2. Put the pot back on the cooker and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the beef pieces and cook lightly until golden brown.
3. After sautéing the beef, add the vegetables back into the pot and add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and tomato paste and sauté for about 2 minutes.
4. Deglaze with red wine and allow to evaporate.
5. Then add the 400 g of pureed tomatoes and 250 mL of water. Season with salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 1 hour (then remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves).
6. In the meantime, prepare the kritharaki. In a small pan, glaze the kritharaki in 4 tablespoons of olive oil and preheat the oven to 180°C convection (or top and bottom heat).
7. Spread the kritharaki in a baking pan (clay pot would be ideal) and add 750 ml of water. Spread the meat with the sauce over the kritharaki and season with thyme. Stir a little.
8. Cover the baking pan with baking paper and bake for 30 minutes at 170°C.
   Then remove the baking paper and bake for another 15 minutes until the surface is lightly browned.
9. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with feta cheese.

Kali orexi!