Stifado (Greek Beef Stew)

Name: Stifado (Greek Beef Stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 45 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6 serving
Ingredients: 2 pounds chuck roast; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 1/2 pounds whole pearl onions; 5 garlic cloves; 1 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 bay leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; ¼ teaspoon ground clove; 4 allspice berries; 1 cup full-bodied red wine; 1/4 cup cognac or brandy; 1 (14 ounce) can of good quality whole or diced tomatoes

User Reviews

5.0

57 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings
6
Calories
4741 kcal
Course
Main Course, Soup
Cuisine
Greek

Stifado (Greek Beef Stew)

Aaron Conner

Report

A hearty red wine beef stew with warming spices that is typically served as a Sunday family dinner on colder fall and winter days. This is one of the many traditional Greek comfort foods that is flavorful, satisfying, and mouth-wateringly delicious! Serve with mashed potatoes, orzo or good, crusty bread.

Share:

I Made This!

42 people made this

Print

11 people printed this

Save this

34 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings

2 pounds chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds whole pearl onions, peeled (frozen are fine—they do not need to be defrosted)
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon ground clove
4 allspice berries or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup full-bodied red wine
1/4 cup cognac or brandy
1 (14 ounce) can of good quality whole or diced tomatoes

Add to Shopping List

Instructions

Brown the beef in batches. Pat the meat dry, spread it on a tray, and season it well with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom non-reactive pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in a single layer and sauté, turning until lightly browned on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. You will need to do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot (which would prevent it from getting a nice sear and seal in the juices). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned pieces to a large mixing bowl. Cover and set aside.
Sauté the pearl onions. Turn the heat to medium and add the peeled pearl onions (if you are using frozen, you do not need to defrost them first). Stir to coat with the oil, adding a dash more oil if needed. Cook until they are softened but not caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic, stir, and cook for another minute.
Season the onions and garlic. With a wooden spoon, stir in the tomato paste, bay leaves, cinnamon, ground clove, and allspice berries. Allow this mixture to caramelize for one minute, then return the meat and its accumulated juices to the pot and stir to coat with the spices.
Deglaze the pan. Pour the red wine and cognac, into the pot scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any fond (browned bits). Let it simmer for 5 minutes to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate and to deglaze the pan.
Simmer. Add the canned tomatoes and enough warm water to cover the meat. Reduce the heat to a medium or medium-low — you just want a slow simmer —and cover the pot. Cook until the meat is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened. This takes about 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size of the meat pieces. Halfway through cooking, open the lid, give it a stir, and check to make sure there is still enough water. If you need to add a little more hot water.
Finish and serve. When the meat is nice and tender, taste it and adjust the seasoning. Remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and allspice berries. Allow the dish to sit, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Serve the stifado warm, over orzo pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or, Greek French fries.

Notes

Frozen pearl onions are a convenient way to save time peeling. If you’d like to use fresh, see the “How to Peel Pearl Onions” section above for tips.
If you can’t source pearl onions, substitute with peeled shallots or 1-inch leek pieces.
our shop
to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including
olive oils
,
honey
,
jams
, and
spices
.
Frozen pearl onions are a convenient way to save time peeling. If you’d like to use fresh, see the “How to Peel Pearl Onions” section above for tips.
If you can’t source pearl onions, substitute with peeled shallots or 1-inch leek pieces.
Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 474.1kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 16.4g (5%) Protein 31.1g (62%) Fat 26.6g (41%) Saturated Fat 8.9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2.4g Monounsaturated Fat 15.4g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 104.3mg (35%) Sodium 539.4mg (22%) Potassium 891mg (25%) Fiber 3.2g (13%) Sugar 7.1g (14%) Vitamin A 148.9IU (3%) Vitamin C 16.2mg (18%) Calcium 89.8mg (9%) Iron 4.5mg (25%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 4741 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	474.1kcal	24%
Carbohydrates	16.4g	5%
Protein	31.1g	62%
Fat	26.6g	41%
Saturated Fat	8.9g	45%
Polyunsaturated Fat	2.4g	14%
Monounsaturated Fat	15.4g	77%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	104.3mg	35%
Sodium	539.4mg	22%
Potassium	891mg	19%
Fiber	3.2g	13%
Sugar	7.1g	14%
Vitamin A	148.9IU	3%
Vitamin C	16.2mg	18%
Calcium	89.8mg	9%
Iron	4.5mg	25%