Jamie Magazine
By Andy Harris
2 hrs 30 mins plus marinating
Super easy
serves 4
About the recipe
In Greece, stifado is served with hilopittes (egg pasta) or orzo (rice-shaped grains of pasta). Once you've tried this a few times and become addicted to its intense flavours, you can try swapping the beef for veal or rabbit.
Recipe From
Ingredients
1.5kg stewing beef, such as chuck or top rump, trimmed, cut into 7cm pieces
24 baby onions
4 ripe tomatoes or 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato purée
MARINADE
3 cloves of garlic
2-3 fresh bay leaves
1½ teaspoons allspice berries
6 whole cloves
1-2 sticks of cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
125ml dry red wine
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Method
- Place the beef in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the marinade ingredients, peeling and finely slicing the garlic first, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Peel the baby onions. If using fresh, peel and roughly chop the tomatoes.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and sauté the onions for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Sauté the beef, reserving the marinade, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides.
- Return the onions to the saucepan, add the marinade, tomatoes and tomato purée and enough water to just cover the stew.
- Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve with pasta and grated hard cheese, such as kefalotiri, pecorino or Parmesan.
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