Stifado or Greek Stew
Serves 4-6
Preparation: 45 mins
Cooking Time: 2-3 hours
For a fuller flavour, marinate the meat with the spices, wine and oil the night before.
The meat takes on a mild fragrance from the spices.
A warming dish for Winter.
Ingredients:
1.5kg/3lb stewing beef (or pork, rabbit, hare) cut into chunks
1.5kg small whole pickling onions, peeled
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cumin
Half one teaspoon of ground cloves
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
440g/14oz can whole tomatoes
1 large glass red wine
A little butter
2 tbsp each tomato puree and parsley.
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO………
- Pre-heat oven to 140C Fan.
- Either marinate the meat overnight in the fridge in the spices, olive oil, red wine, red wine vinegar covered.
- Add rest of the ingredients, cover with water, tightly cover and cook 4-5 hours.
- Or alternatively, fry in a large heatproof casserole the meat (either already marinated) otherwise add the ingredients as in 1. above.
- Sizzle for a few minutes, add the tomatoes and wine and cover with water and bring to the boil and season.
- Meanwhile fry the onions in butter and scatter over the meat.
- Cover tightly with a layer of foil and then the lid and cook for 2½ to 3 hours at 140C Fan until the meat is very soft and tender.
- Stir in the tomato puree and parsley and serve immediately with rice or noodles. Or you could do a traditional side dish of creamy mashed potatoes and steamed greens.