Greek
Stifado
Slow-simmered beef and pearl onions in a red wine tomato sauce scented with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
6 servings · 35 minutes prep · 155 minutes cook
Ingredients
Main
- 3 lb beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 lb pearl onions, peeled
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 allspice berries
- 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
- 1 tsp honey
Directions
Method
- Season the beef chuck with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef deeply in batches, 3-4 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.
- Add the pearl onions to the same pot and brown lightly, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until the garlic’s raw, sharp aroma softens and the spices begin to bloom, stopping before the garlic browns, 2 minutes.
- Add the dry red wine and red wine vinegar, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer until reduced by about one-third.
- Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, allspice berries, dried Greek oregano, and Greek honey.
- Cover and simmer very gently until the beef is fork-tender and the onions still hold their shape, 2 1/4-2 1/2 hours.
- Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, and allspice berries if visible. Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
