Greek-Style Beef and Orzo Stew

In the Greek comfort-food dish called youvetsi, the meat (usually beef or lamb) and orzo share equal status. In our version, the cinnamon-spiced tomato sauce is rich with the juices released by the beef chuck during simmering. We cook the orzo directly in the sauce once the beef is tender so it absorbs plenty of flavor and its starch thickens the stew. Chopped herbs at the end add freshness; we prefer a mix of parsley, dill and mint, but just one or two does nicely.