Slow-Baked Lamb Youvetsi with Kritharaki and Kefalotyri

⏱ 180 min · Serves 6

A Greek Sunday classic: lamb shoulder braised until it collapses in a cinnamon-scented tomato sauce, then finished in the oven with orzo that drinks up every drop. Showered with salty kefalotyri and served straight from the dish.

Per serving: 760 kcal · 48.0g protein · 63.0g carbs · 33.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.2kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 5cm chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 150ml red wine
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 500ml passata
• 500ml hot lamb or chicken stock, plus extra if needed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 whole allspice berries (or 1/4 tsp ground)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 400g kritharaki (orzo)
• 150g kefalotyri or pecorino, coarsely grated
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat oven to 170C/150C fan. Pat the lamb dry and season well with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole and brown the lamb in batches over high heat, 4-5 minutes per batch. Set aside.
3. Lower the heat, add the onions and cook 8 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and tomato purée and stir for 1 minute.
4. Pour in the red wine, scrape the base and let it bubble down by half.
5. Return the lamb with the tomatoes, passata, stock, cinnamon, bay, oregano, allspice and sugar. Bring to a simmer, cover and bake for 1 hour 45 minutes, until the lamb is fork-tender.
6. Lift out the cinnamon stick and bay. Taste the sauce and season - it should be rich and slightly sweet. If it looks tight, add a splash more hot stock; you want a loose, soupy sauce.
7. Stir in the dry kritharaki, making sure it is submerged. Cover and bake 20 minutes, stirring once halfway so it does not stick.
8. Uncover, scatter over half the cheese and bake a final 10 minutes until the top is patchy-golden and the orzo is plump and just tender.
9. Rest 10 minutes, then scatter with parsley and the rest of the cheese and serve from the dish.