Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Youvetsi

Youvetsi
Adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros

Ingredients
2 medium red onions, finely chopped (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
2 lbs. lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
4 c. organic chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
16 oz. uncooked orzo
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
4-8oz. haloumi or alternate cheese (e.g. parmigiano reggiano, pecorino, grana padano, feta)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Heat the olive oil and 2 tbsp. butter over a medium-high flame/heat in a large heavy pot or dutch oven.
2. Pat dry the lamb chunks and season liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the lamb. You may need to do this in 1/2 lb. batches to avoid overcrowding it. Turn it once or twice to get a nice all-over sear without burning. Set aside the lamb in a bowl.
3. Add a little olive oil to the fat and juices remaining in the pan, if necessary. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are softened. Add a pinch of salt to encourage the onions to release their liquid. Do not overcook (i.e., softened but not browned).
4. Add the meat with its accumulated juices to the pot. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, remaining 3 tbsp. of butter, the cinnamon stick and 4 cups of stock/water. Bring to a boil then cover and move the pot to the oven. Cook for 60 to 90 minutes until lamb is tender.
5. Remove the pot from the oven.Remove the cinnamon stick.
6. Stir in the orzo and return the covered pot to the oven. If you serve the dish right away, leave it in the oven for a further 15 minutes, stirring once. If there is delay before you serve it, leave it in the oven for about 7 minutes, then remove the pot but leave it covered.
7) Add the cheese and stir it to combine. Serve.

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