STIFADO

Stifado is a hearty Greek stew typically made with beef or rabbit (and sometimes quail or onions alone), slowly braised in a rich tomato, red wine and vinegar based sauce with lots of pearl onions, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves, yielding a sweet savoury, deeply aromatic dish. It’s especially associated with the Peloponnese, particularly the region around Mani and Kalamata, as well as Cycladic islands like Syros where local variations thrive, and it’s commonly enjoyed as a comforting family meal or festive dish across Greece.

STIFADO

〰️

STIFADO 〰️

(GREEK BEEF STEW)

Time: 3 hours

Serves: 4

800gm gravy beef (cut in chunks)

4 baby onions, halved

4 large shallots, halved longways

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

140gm tomato paste

1 tbl sp all spice

1 tbl sp chilli flakes

1/2 tbl sp ground cinnamon

1 tbl sp dried oregano

1/4 tea sp gr clove

1 cup red wine

800gm canned finely chopped tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, pounded, skin removed

4 bay leaves

To serve: rice

Begin by placing a large heavy pot on searing high heat. Drizzle on some olive oil and brown your onions and shallots. Once you’ve browned all your onions and shallots add some more olive oil and brown off your beef on the two larger sides. You’ll know your beef is ready to turn and remove when it easily comes off your pan with no hesitation.

Once everything has been removed from pot add in apple cider vinegar to deglaze and reduce it down to a think layer on the bottom. Add your all spice, chilli, cinnamon, oregano and clove with the tomato paste and mix all through and let it cook out for a minute. Pour in red wine and canned tomato. Fill can up again with water (800ml) and pour in as well. Give it a stir and and back in the beef, onion and shallots, along with bay leafs and garlic.

Bring pot to a high simmer and then let it simmer with lid on for 90 minutes and lid off for 60 minutes. Seasoning with salt throughout to your taste.

Once cooked, the meat should fall apart. Enjoy with pasta or rice.