Stifado
Stifado
Greek beef and shallot stew, 3 hr braise, serves 6
Ingredients
The stew stewing beef 1kg, in large chunks baby onions 600g, peeled, left whole garlic 4 cloves, sliced chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g tin beef stock 400ml red wine 250ml red wine vinegar 2 tbsp tomato puree 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp The spice cinnamon stick 1 bay leaves 4 dried oregano 1 tbsp ground allspice 1 pinch ground cloves 1 pinch caster sugar 1 pinch salt and pepper to season
Shin or chuck. A cut with some fat and collagen goes meltingly tender over the long braise, where lean cuts stay tough.
Peeling that many small onions is the only faff. Cover them in just boiled water for a minute and the skins slip off.
Better the next day, once the spice settles and the sauce thickens, so a good one to make ahead.
Recipe
1. Heat the oven to 140°C. Warm the oil in the Dutch oven over medium high heat and brown the beef in batches, then lift it out.
Do not crowd the pot. In one layer with space the meat browns; piled in it steams and stays grey. Browning is most of the flavour.
2. Turn the heat down, add the whole onions, and colour them for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for a minute.
3. Add the tomato puree, cinnamon, bay, oregano, allspice, cloves and sugar. Stir for a minute to wake the spices up.
4. Pour in the vinegar and wine, scraping the bottom, and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, and the browned beef with its juices. Season.
5. Bring to a gentle simmer, lid on, and into the oven for about 2 hours, until the beef pulls apart with a fork and the onions are soft.
Check once near the end. If the sauce is thin, finish it on the hob with the lid off for 10 minutes to reduce.
6. Fish out the cinnamon stick and bay leaves and taste for salt.
❄ Freezer
Freeze: cool completely, then portion into bags or tubs.
Reheat: from frozen on a low heat with the lid on, or thaw in the fridge first.
Keeps: 3 months frozen, 3 days in the fridge.
Source: BBC Good Food.