Beef Stifado
Stifado is a traditional Greek beef stew cooked with tomatoes, onions, cinnamon, vinegar or red wine, and a variety of spices and herbs. Stifado roughly translates as a stew with lots of onions! If you want to go really native you can replace the beef with rabbit, octopus or monkfish in Skiathos, but beef has always been a very popular version.
Stifado captivates the palate with its hearty and comforting nature, transporting you to the rustic charm of Greece with every delightful spoonful!
Beef Stifado
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef osso bucco or beef chuck cut into about 3 inch chunks
- 20 pearl onions whole
- 7-8 cloves of garlic
- 3 springs of rosemary
- 4 bay leaves
- 4-6 peppercorns
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 whole nutmeg
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 410 gr diced tomatoes 1 can
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
How to Make Stifado:
- Mix the tomato paste with the vinegar and set aside.
- Start layering the ingredients in a cast iron pot. First, place the meat on the base, then the onions, followed by the garlic, spices, and salt and pepper.
- Add the diced tomatoes, vinegar with tomato paste and oil.
- Top with the bay leaves and fresh rosemary sprigs.
- Cover the pot with a lid and put on a medium heat for a few minutes to warm up, then turn the heat down to a low simmer for 1½ hours. Do not open the lid or stir at all. Just give the pot a gentle shake every 30 minutes.
- After 1½ hours check the meat. If it is not falling apart, put the lid back on and cook for a further 30 mins. Once the meat looks ready, turn the heat off.
- Serve your Beef Stifado hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley or rosemary, and accompany it with rice, pasta, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Notes
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Related: Most Popular Greek Foods
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