Greek Beef Stew With Onions Stifado Recipes

BEEF STIFADO RECIPE (GREEK BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• To prepare this delicious Greek beef stifado recipe, heat the oil in a saucepan, add the meat (in batches) and sauté, until browned on all sides. Do not add all the meat in the sauce pan, rather sauté in batches, so that the temperature of the oil remains high and the meat is sealed. When done, remove with a slotted spoon, place on a platter, cover and set aside.
• Peel and carve the baby shallot onions crosswise, add in the same oil used to browned the meat, turn down to medium heat and sauté until the onions have softened, but not browned (about 10 minutes).
• Pour in the cognac, the wine and red wine vinegar, cover and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
• Pour the meat along with its juices to the saucepan, add the tomato paste and sauté. Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, allspice berries, nutmeg and a bit of water until the meat is covered. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer the beef stifado with a lid on for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened. While the beef stifado is simmering, check if it needs some water; you don't want it to dry out. If it does, pour in half a cup of boiled water and stir. Towards the end of cooking time season well with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve beef stifado with pasta and grated cheese, or boiled new potatoes. Enjoy!

GREEK BEEF STEW WITH ONIONS (STIFADO)

Steps:

• Start by washing the beef under running water. Pat the meat dry and dice it into even chunks of approximately 150gr weight.
• In a large pot add 1L water, the diced meat and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let them boil over medium heat for approximately 50-60 minutes. This long boiling process will render the meat soft which will melt in your mouth.
• When the meat starts to boil , a white froth will appear in the water in the first 10-15 minutes. Be sure to remove this and continue to allow the meat to boil.
• Meanwhile, start preparing the onions or shallots. This recipe calls for a lot of onions so be ready for this part. Remove the skin of the onions and wash them under a running tap. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Washing the onions will mellow their flavour.
• Chop the ends of the onions which harbour the most sulphuric compounds that can tear your eyes. Continue by halving the onions and then chopping them rather thick into 1.5cm chunks. The onions need to be chopped rather thick as they will be cooked for a rather long time. Thinly sliced onion will simply disintegrate in the pot.
• In another pot, pour olive oil over medium to high heat. As soon as the oil is ready, add a small to medium amount of onions, approximately 3-4 onions and the garlic cloves. Add paprika and sugar and sauté the onions for a couple of minutes.
• Continue by adding onions very 3-4 minutes into the pot until you had added all the onions. Stir continuously throughout these steps. These whole process will last for approximately 15-20 minutes.
• It is now time to add tomato paste, tomatoes, red wine, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and allspice.
• By this time the meat will have boiled sufficiently. Strain the meat and keep the water in which the meat boiled. This would now be your meat stock to add in the stew.
• Pour the meat stock in the pot with your onions until all your onions are covered by it.
• Let the onions boil with the beef stock for 15 minutes.
• Continue by adding the meat. If you feel that there is not enough water/stock in your pot, please add enough to cover the meat.
• Add red wine vinegar and boil the stew over medium heat for 25-30 minutes.
• After 10 minutes or so you can add the dried prunes.
• Taste the stew for seasoning and add if necessary.

BEEF STIFADO IN THE SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and cook beef, onion, and garlic until meat is browned on all sides and onions are soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, rosemary, salt and a good pinch of black pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until ingredients blend, about 3 minutes. Add wine and vinegar and stir to combine.
• Turn slow cooker to Low setting. Pour beef mixture into slow cooker and stir in ketchup.
• Cook on Low until beef is tender, 6 to 8 hours.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a skillet and cook shallots until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cooked shallots to stew for the last 1 to 2 hours of cooking.
• Remove and discard cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and rosemary sprig before serving.

STEFADO (GREEK BEEF STEW WITH SMALL ONIONS)

Steps:

• Brown beef cubs in olive oil in a large Dutch oven.
• Remove and set aside.
• Mix sugar into the drippings and add the onions, cooking until golden.
• Return beef to the pot.
• Mix in tomato paste, wine, wine vinegar, garlic, dill seed and rosemary.
• Place cinnamon and bay leaf in a spice bag of cheesecloth (or just add it and remember to fish them out of the stew later).
• Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until tender (I usually have to add about a cup of water about halfway through).
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Alternatively, you can bake this at 275 degrees F in your oven; adjust times accordingly, if needed.

GREEK-STYLE BEEF STEW (STIFADO)

Steps:

• Place beef in a bowl and season generously with pepper and kosher salt. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use; up to 1 day is fine.
• Leaving the root ends in place, cut off the shallot tops. Remove and discard skins.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add ½ of the beef and cook until nicely seared, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and repeat to sear remaining beef.
• Turn off the heat and add 1 tablespoon oil to the empty skillet. Add shallots and let the skillet cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat back on to medium and toss shallots until browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove shallots to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet with onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add red wine vinegar and white wine and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Increase heat to medium-high and add sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, oregano, bay leaves, and rosemary sprigs. Stir to combine and cook until reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add browned beef and shallots to the skillet and toss carefully until coated. Pour in 2 cups beef broth and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low or medium-low. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour, then uncover and cook for at least 1 more hour, stirring occasionally to move the beef and shallots around. Add more broth if needed during the cooking time and skim off some fat if preferred. The meat is done when a fork slides in easily, but the meat isn't falling apart on its own; it may take longer than 2 hours.
• Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.