Greek Dish for Father's Day

[Boonowuno]

I asked Dad (of Greek descent) what his favorite dish was so I could make it for Father's Day. I was surprised when he said lamb with orzo (something his yaya probably made for him). He could not be more specific. So what is it? Lamb shanks? Lamb chops? Souvlakia? How is the orzo prepared? Any ideas would be very helpful.

[Boonowuno]

Afharistoh (?) Aramis...that seems to be the dish.

[TheDescendedLefticleOfAramis]

You're welcome ... BTW the recipe link offered by phoenikia looks appealing.

[emilief]

The recipe sounds good. FYI- kefalotyrie is a hard cheese similar to parmesan. You can substitute a good quality parmesan.

[spanacopita]

roast leg of Lamb would be fine for a family party of ten or so .
Lamb chops are great but on the pricier side, perfect for a quick meal and a smaller group.
Go with a whole roasted spring lamb and invite all your Dads friends over for a party.
Orzo is cooked just like a pasta from there you can add what ever you like.

[Boonowuno]

Thanks, span. I was hoping for a little more info, i.e. is there a particular Greek-style lamb dish served with orzo to which my Dad was referring? Barring that, any good ideas for marinades for chops on the grill?

[TheDescendedLefticleOfAramis]

I suspect your dad is suggesting "youvetsi".
IMHO I would go with a leg and oven roast, keep the chops for the grill.
You'll find many ideas here ...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&am...

[phoenikia]

I agree, he's probably referring to youvetsi. Sometimes it is spelled giouvetsi or yiouvetsi.

Basically it's braised or roasted meat (could be chicken, giblets, goat, etc instead of lamb) cooked with orzo in a tomato sauce seasoned with cinnamon, oregano and garlic. The orzo can be cooked in the sauce. Some recipes might use rice instead of orzo.

Here is a recipe: http://www.krinos.com/ind_recipe.php?...

[emilief]

Yes, you are absolutely right. A roast leg of lamb would not even come close to giouvetsi. This dish is usually cooked in an earthenware casserole - braised an cooked long in theoven. Lots of cinnamon flavor.