Print

braised beef and orzo

Print Recipe

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

I’ve only ever loved everything I’ve ever gotten from Nuts.com, especially their dates (see these cinnamon rolls, and these tarts, and this dessert, the list goes on) but they carry all sorts of goodies, including good olive oil, artisanal orzo that is delightfully fat compared to other brands, and flavorful, pungent tomato powder.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds flank steak, cubed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups diced onion (about 1 medium onion)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 cups diced fresh tomatoes, with juice (or one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato powder (or tomato paste)
  • ½ cup red wine or other cooking wine
  • 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
  • 1 pound orzo noodles
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in three batches, add the flank steak, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring every so often, until browned on all sides, 4-6 minutes per batch. Use tongs to remove the steak, then add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions just begin to soften, 1-2 minutes.
  2. Return the beef to the pot, followed by the tomatoes, tomato powder (or paste), and wine, and stir until evenly combined. Cover and place in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes, until the beef shreds easily and the sauce is flavorful and rich.
  3. Remove from oven and adjust salt and pepper to taste, along with the brown sugar if the sauce is too tart. Stir in the orzo noodles, along with about 1 ½ cups of water — this doesn’t need to be exact, but should be enough that the orzo noodles are swimming and have plenty of room to cook. At this point, you can finish the stew on the stove until the orzo is cooked through and al dente, about 10 minutes on the stovetop depending on the size and brand of noodles; you can also return the pot to the oven for about 10-15 minutes. If finishing the noodles in the oven, stir once about halfway through cooking to make sure the noodles on top get cooked. Once the orzo is cooked to your liking, portion out the beef and orzo and serve with plenty of grated Parmesan on top. Enjoy!

Find it online: https://tworedbowls.com/2017/09/21/braised-beef-orzo/