Youvetsi – Greek Braised Short Ribs

Youvetsi is a traditional Greek dish made with lamb or beef where the meat is slow-braised in a savory red wine sauce for hours, then paired with orzo pasta in the braising liquid to cook for another hour for this amazing one-pan dinner.  

This is pure comfort food and yiayia Angeliki’s recipe does not disappoint. (yiayia is grandmother in Greek).  My mom would make this dish on Sundays after church in the fall.  She would sear the ribs and put them into the oven to slow roast for 5-6 hours and the meat was fork-tender and delicious. 

Some people characterize youvetsi as a stew, but I prefer to think of it as a wine-braised beef and orzo bake.  I think of stews as soupy, and this baked orzo dish is definitely not soupy.  

There is warmth from a cinnamon stick, an infusion of flavor from the red wine braising liquid, and great texture from the carrots, onions, beef, and orzo. 

You can use whole wheat orzo if you prefer and that will make the dish slightly healthier. 

Pick up boneless short ribs and orzo pasta on sale at Safeway this week to make this delicious meal.  Be sure to leave a review in the comments if you enjoyed it! 

Ingredients in Braised Short Rib Youvetsi

• 5 lbs. beef short ribs, boneless
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sprigs of thyme 
• 1 cup red wine
• 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• pinch of sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth, divided
• 8 oz orzo pasta
• parsley, chopped for garnish
• feta or parmesan cheese for serving

How To Make Youvetsi

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet or braising pan with a lid.  

Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper. 

Place the ribs into the hot skillet and sear until brown on all sides. 

Remove the ribs to a plate and set them aside.

To the skillet add the diced onion, carrots, garlic, and thyme.  Cook until the vegetables are tender – about 4 minutes.  Add the red wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up all the brown bits.   Cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, a pinch of sugar, and 1/2 cup beef broth to the skillet.  Stir and simmer for a few minutes until combined.  Add the ribs back to the pan and bake, covered in a 325° F oven for 2 hours. 

Add the orzo and 2 cups of broth to the skillet and stir.  Place the braising pan back into the oven for another hour. 

Alternatively, you can cook the ribs for 4 to 5 hours at 275° F. for even more tender ribs.  Increase the heat to 325 or 350 when you add the orzo. 

Top with chopped parsley and serve with grated parmesan and feta cheese. 

Boneless Short Rib Recipe

I’ve used boneless short ribs for this recipe, but you can substitute bone-in short ribs, chuck steak, or lamb.  You want a flavorful cut of meat that has good marbling that gets tender from slow cooking for hours. 

Youvetsi - Greek Braised Short Ribs With Orzo

Youvetsi is a traditional Greek dish made with lamb or beef where the meat is slow-braised in a savory red wine sauce for hours, then paired with orzo pasta in this amazing one-pan dinner.  

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Beef and Baked Orzo, Braised Short Ribs, Greek Braised Beef, Youvesi

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 serving

Calories:

Author: Eva Fry

Ingredients

• 5 lbs. beef short ribs boneless
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 carrots thinly sliced
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 cup red wine
• 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• pinch of sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth divided
• 8 oz orzo pasta
• parsley chopped for garnish
• feta or parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325° F.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet or braising pan with a lid.
• Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper.
• Place the ribs into the hot skillet and sear until brown on all sides.
• Remove the ribs to a plate and set them aside.
• To the skillet add the diced onion, carrots, garlic, and thyme.  Cook until the vegetables are tender - about 4 minutes.  Add the red wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up all the brown bits.   Cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, a pinch of sugar, and 1/2 cup beef broth to the skillet.  Stir and simmer for a few minutes until combined.  Add the ribs back to the pan and bake, covered in a 325° F oven for 2 hours.
• Add the orzo and 2 cups of broth to the skillet and stir.  Place the braising pan back into the oven for another hour.
• Alternatively, you can cook the ribs for 4 to 5 hours at 275° F. for even more tender ribs.  Increase the heat to 325 or 350 when you add the orzo.
• Top with chopped parsley and serve with grated parmesan and feta cheese.

SuperSafeway is a blog devoted to helping you find the best deals at Safeway in the Denver division.  Every week we slice and dice the ad and tell you the best deals at Safeway with and without coupons.

For more low prices, check out the Safeway weekly ad and the Safeway coupon matchup page. Would you like to stay updated on the best deals? If so, make sure to like Super Safeway on Facebook, join our Facebook group, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our Instagram, or head over to Pinterest. Also, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

* Please note – Savings information is based on Colorado pricing and the Safeway Coupon Policy for the Denver Division which includes Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming and South Dakota. Your market may vary. Prices may vary per location*