Ultimate Greek beef stifado. The following recipe is one of the traditional greek recipes that need to not be forgotten. The characteristic ingredient for this one is the shallot onion and its name…"Stifado" Stifado - Traditional Beef Stew With Shallots Stifado or Sti-fa-th-o as it's pronounced in Greek is a truly flavorful meat stew. Cooked in red wine along with shallots and plenty of sweet spices.
Go to any village taverna and this hearty beef stew will be bubbling away in the kitchen filling the air with fabulous scents that will have you begging for a bowl of this wonderful rich stew. Traditionally Greek beef stifado is served with orzo pasta, rice, hilopittes (egg pasta) or chip potatoes. For the cold winter days, serve with creamy mashed potatoes for a warming and hearty meal that will take the chill out of any evening. You can cook Ultimate Greek beef stifado using 17 ingredients and 8 steps. Here is how you cook it.
Ingredients of Ultimate Greek beef stifado
- It's of MARINADE:.
- Prepare 2-3 sprigs of rosemary.
- It's 2-3 of dry bay leaves.
- Prepare 1 tbls of dried Greek oregano.
- Prepare 150 ml of red wine.
- It's 2 tbls of white wine vinegar.
- It's 3 of garlic cloves peeled and crushed with the back of a knife.
- You need 4 of whole cloves.
- It's 1 of cinnamon stick, broken into large pieces.
- You need A few of gratings of nutmeg.
- It's of FOR THE BEEF:.
- Prepare 1 kg of good quality beef diced.
- It's 6 tbls of extra virgin olive oil.
- It's 1.2 kg of shallots or small onions, peeled.
- Prepare 400 g of chopped tomatoes.
- You need 2 tbls of tomato purée.
- It's 1 of beef stock cube.
And of course with some crusted bread aside to dig into all this delicious tomato sauce. Place the remaining olive oil in the frying pan and pour in the reserved marinade, the chopped tomatoes, the tomato purée and the beef stock. Bring to a boil and then pour onto the beef. Beef Stifado has the unmistakable aromas of cinnamon and black pepper with a little sharpness from the vinegar.
Ultimate Greek beef stifado instructions
- Place all the marinade ingredients together and combine. Add the beef, mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight..
- When you’re ready to cook, set the oven to 180C fan assisted..
- Drain the beef as well as possible, keeping the marinade juices. Strain and set aside..
- Heat 2 tbls of the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the shallots for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside..
- In the same frying pan, add 2 tbls olive oil and sear the beef on all sides and then place in a casserole dish. You will need to brown the meat in batches. Don’t turn it too much whilst searing as this will reduce the temperature of the pan..
- Place the remaining olive oil in the frying pan and pour in the reserved marinade, the chopped tomatoes, the tomato purée and the beef stock. Bring to a boil and then pour onto the beef..
- Cover the casserole with a lid and place in the oven for 1 hour..
- After 1 hour add the shallots to the casserole, mix, cover with a lid and cook for a further hour or until the meat is tender..
The tender, melt in the mouth baby onions left whole and sweet. The beef, soft, succulent, fall-apart-meat and don't forget the brilliant Greek extra virgin olive oil that envelopes the whole dish. Heat half of the butter and half of the first tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half of the beef cubes on all sides, and place into a large saucepan. Greek cuisine has many comfort foods, but stifado or in a more original spelling stifatho, is probably the most widely cooked dish which has its own, local versions throughout the whole country.