Greek lamb giouvetsi with orzo | Magnificent baked lamb stew

Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Cut the lamb into bite-sized, approx. 3 cm cubes, pat them thoroughly dry, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic cloves.

In a deep, oven-safe skillet or cast-iron pot, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb cubes in two batches on all sides for 5-7 minutes to get a nice crust, then transfer them to a plate.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan drippings, then sauté the diced onion for 4-5 minutes until translucent and lightly caramelized. Stir in the crushed garlic, dried oregano, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, then fry for half a minute until the spices become fragrant.