Beef Stifado

Beef Stifado is one of those dishes that fills the kitchen with the unmistakable aromas of Greek home cooking.

Tender chunks of beef slowly simmer with sweet little onions, red wine, tomato, cinnamon, allspice, and bay until everything comes together in a rich, deeply savory sauce. The onions soften and become almost buttery, adding just enough natural sweetness to balance the wine and warm spices.

It’s rustic, comforting, and meant to be eaten slowly—with plenty of crusty bread nearby to make sure not a drop of that sauce goes to waste.

My aunt Theodora makes stifado, and she actually braises it in her old world brick oven. She has made it for us every time we visit the village! She usually makes hers with rabbit, and it’s unforgettable. The same cooking principles hold true to the beef recipe.

Ingredients: 

1 lb beef chuck, cut into roughly 1 inch chunks

1 tbsp flour 

1 lb pearl onions or small boiler onions, peeled

2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little more if needed

1 clove garlic, minced or sliced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato passata

½–¾ cup beef broth or water

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

3–4 whole allspice berries

½ tsp dried Greek oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions 

Pat the chuck dry and season generously with salt and pepper, and stir in the flour. That coating helps to thicken the sauce. The flour is optional, and you can skip it if you prefer.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef well on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove to a plate.

Add the pearl onions to the same pot and cook for about 5–7 minutes, gently turning them so they pick up some color without falling apart. Remove and set aside with the beef.

I add the beef back in and add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and scrape up all those browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine simmer for 2–3 minutes.

Add the vinegar, crushed tomatoes, ½ cup broth or water cinnamon, bay leaves, allspice and oregano. Add the onions back in. 

Cover and simmer very gently for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally until the beef is fork-tender and the onions are beautifully soft but still mostly intact.

Serve it with crusty bread, pasta, mashed potatoes or French fries.

Kali Oreksi!