Ana Vassili | Greek-Australian home cook

Greek beef stifado — and Sunday nights in our house smelled exactly like this. 🥩

Tender beef, sweet onions, red wine and warm spices slow cooked until rich, deep and impossibly aromatic.

My mum’s stifado always had so much juice — bread or potatoes, whatever was on the table got dragged through that sauce. Best part. Every single time.

Save this for your next Sunday dinner. 👇

Ingredients
250ml (8fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
1.5kg chuck steak
8 medium brown onions cut into quarters
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
400ml (13½fl oz) dry red wine
250g tin (8oz) crushed tomatoes
Water, to cover 2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 orange, zest and juice
4 cloves
Salt, to taste 50g (2oz) diced butter
Method
1. In a heavy based pot heat 175ml (6fl oz) olive oil and brown off the beef pieces on all sides
2. Remove from pot, add onions and cook for 3 minutes then add garlic and remaining oil and tomato paste. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add wine and reduce by half. Add beef back to the pot with remaining ingredients and enough water to just cover.
4. Cover with lid and braise in an oven at 160°C (325°F, Gas Mark 2-3) for 3-4 hours until the meat is tender
5. Remove cinnamon sticks and bay leat. Using slotted spoon, remove beef and onions and place in serving dish
6. Pour juices into saucepan and reduce. Finish with diced butter. Season and pour over beef.

#greekfood #greekrecipes #stifado #greekstew