Beef Stifado Recipe James Martin Food

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!

BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• Place the beef in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the marinade ingredients, peeling and finely slicing the garlic first, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
• Peel the baby onions. If using fresh, peel and roughly chop the tomatoes.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and sauté the onions for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Sauté the beef, reserving the marinade, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides.
• Return the onions to the saucepan, add the marinade, tomatoes and tomato purée and enough water to just cover the stew.
• Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened.
• Serve with pasta and grated hard cheese, such as kefalotiri, pecorino or Parmesan.

BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• Heat half of the butter and half of the first tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half of the beef cubes on all sides, and place into a large saucepan. Repeat with the remaining butter, olive oil, and beef. Stir the onions and garlic into the oil remaining in the skillet, and reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine, and bring to a simmer, then scrape the onions into the saucepan with the beef.
• Season the beef with salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and orange zest. Pour in the diced tomatoes and water. Cover, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; then reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the pearl onions, and cook until they are well browned, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. After the beef has simmered for an hour, add the pearl onions, recover, and continue simmering 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid, and simmer, uncovered until the stew has reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the orange zest before serving.

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.

KITTENCAL'S BEEF STIFADO (GREEK STEW WITH FETA)

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• Add in the beef cubes (cooking in batches) cook until browned remove to a plate.
• Repeat with remaining beef.
• Return the first batch of beef back to the pot.
• Add in the oregano, onions and garlic; cook stirring with wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes.
• Add in wine with all remaining ingredients except the currants and feta cheese; bring to a boil, simmer covered over medium-low heat for about 1-1/2 hours, then discard the whole cloves and bay leaves.
• Add in the currants and continue to cook (uncovered) over very low heat for about 30 minutes more, or until the beef is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle in the feta the last 5-6 minutes of cooking and push down slightly with a spoon.
• Season with more salt and freshly ground pepper if needed.
• Ladle into bowls and serve with crust bread or buns.
• Delicious!

SLOW-COOKED BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• In a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker, toss the beef with the flour until evenly coated. Mix in the onions. In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, red wine, cumin, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water until well blended. Stir into the beef mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-7 hours or until meat is tender, but not falling apart. Stir in the sugar.
• Serve topped with the walnuts and the Feta cheese. Serve over noodles or rice.

BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• Place butter in the bottom of a large crockpot.
• Add the meat and turn to coat with butter.
• Arrange the onions over the meat.
• Mix the tomato paste through the garlic, and pour over the meat and onions, but do not stir.
• Add the bay leaf through the raisins; do not stir.
• Simmer on low 8-10 hours.
• At serving time, remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves and stir the stifado gently to blend.