Lamb Stifado 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!

STIFADO - TRADITIONAL BEEF STEW WITH SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Add a generous splash of olive oil in a cooking pot and heat over high heat.
• Brown the beef chunks on all sides. Do this by adding the meat in the pot in batches. So the temperature of the oil won't drop, and the meat sill sear properly. After you're done with the first batch, remove the meat from the pot and then add the next batch. Once all the meat is seared and browned all over, add it all back in the pot.
• Pour in 2-3 cups of semi-sweet red wine, and 2-3 cups of water in the pot. The amount of both liquids should be just enough to cover the meat. So whether you're using a wider or more narrow cooking pot you should adjust the amount to 2 or 3 cups (each) accordingly.
• Add the allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Season with kosher salt and ground pepper.
• Reduce heat to low and cover the pot with its lid. Slow cook for approximately 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, cut off the tops and bottoms of the shallots and remove their skins. Place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak for about 30 minutes and then drain in a strainer. This is done to remove some of their sharp acidity.
• After the meat has slowly cooked for 2 hours, prick with a knife to make sure it's tender enough. Otherwise, cook a bit more.
• Add a splash of olive oil in a skillet or frying pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Toss in the shallots and cook until deep golden all over. Stir in 2 loaded tablespoons of tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes more, while stirring constantly using a wooden spoon. Pour a good splash of water in the pan to help scrape off the paste from the pan and then add everything in the pot with the meat.
• Shake the pot for the shallots to spread evenly, and once you make sure there is enough liquid in the pot to almost cover everything, slow cook (covered) for another 45-50 minutes.
• Serve with freshly ground pepper on top!

LAMB KLEFTIKO

Steps:

• Crush together the garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the herbs, lemon zest, cinnamon, some black pepper, crush a little more, then stir through 2 tbsp of the olive oil.
• Using a sharp knife, create lots of holes all over the lamb, and rub in the paste, pushing it deep into the holes. Transfer the lamb to a large food bag, pour in the lemon juice and marinate overnight.
• The next day, take the lamb out of the fridge 1 hr before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Lay 2 long pieces of baking parchment on top of 2 long pieces of foil - one widthways, the other lengthways to form a cross. Pop the potatoes in the centre of the parchment and toss with the remaining oil and some seasoning. Bring up the sides of the foil, then pour the marinade from the lamb over the potatoes and throw in the bay leaves.
• Set the lamb on top of the potatoes and scrunch the foil together tightly to completely enclose the lamb. Lift into a roasting tin and roast in the oven for 4½ hrs until very tender.
• Remove tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Unwrap the parcel and scrunch the foil and parchment under the rim of the tin, baste the lamb with the juices and return to the oven for a further 20 mins until browned. Remove the lamb from the tin, wrap in foil and rest.
• Turn the potatoes over and return to the oven for 30 mins, then season with salt. While the potatoes are cooking, stir together all the ingredients for the yogurt.
• Combine the red wine vinegar, oil and some seasoning to make a dressing for the salad. Toss together the remaining salad ingredients, adding the dressing when you're ready to eat. Serve the lamb with the potatoes and meaty juices, with the salad and yogurt on the side.

LAMB STIFADO

Steps:

• Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until turning brown and soft.
• Remove and set them aside.
• Add the meat and brown well.
• Add all the remaining ingredients, including the onions.
• Add water to just cover.
• Tightly cover the pot and simmer very slowly for 2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Like most stews, this is better reheated the next day.

LAMB STIFADO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil (2 tbsp) in a large, heavy-based pot. Fry sliced brown onion (1 large) and baby onions (12) until starting to soften, then remove to a plate.
• Fry lamb shoulder (1.5kg cut into 4-5cm/2" pieces) in batches until browned then add to the plate with the onions. When the last of the lamb is finished browning, add reserved lamb and onions back to the pot.
• Add garlic cloves (4 - crushed) and fry for 30 seconds.
• Then add in tomato paste (2 tbsp), ground cumin (2 tsp), fresh rosemary (1 tsp - finely chopped), ground cloves (¼ tsp), and cinnamon (a pinch) then fry for a further minute.
• Add red wine vinegar (1 tbsp) and dry red wine (375ml) to the pot and simmer to reduce by about a third.
• Add tinned cherry tomatoes (1 x 400ml tin - tomatoes broken up slightly), beef stock (375ml), and fine salt (1 tsp) then simmer with the lid on but slightly ajar (see my notes) for 1½ hours or until lamb is tender. Add more cinnamon or salt as required then serve.

LAMB STIFADO - RED WINE STEW WITH PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a wide cooking pot over high heat. Sear the meat parts on all sides. Do this in batches so the temperature of the oil keeps nice and high and the meat gets seared properly.
• Pour in the wine and all of the seasonings and spices as well as the garlic cloves. Season with kosher salt.
• The wine in the pot should be just enough to cover the meat almost completely. Wait until it starts to simmer. Then add the lid on the pot, leaving a small open space on one side for steams to escape.
• Reduce heat to low and cook for about 1 and a half hour to two hours. Ideally, you shouldn't use any water in this recipe as it will change the final flavor of the dish. So in order to avoid this, keep the temperature low and don't let the food in the pot get to any more than a low, gentle simmer until the meat is tender enough.
• After one hour and 30 minutes prick the meat to check if it's tender. If not cook for 30 minutes more. If it feels tender enough, proceed with adding the onions.
• For the onions, heat a splash of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the pearl onions and cook for a few minutes until deep golden all over.
• Transfer them to the pot with the meat. Cook for at least 50 minutes more from the time you add the onions to the pot. Towards the last 30 minutes raise the temperature to medium or medium-high depending on how much liquid there is still left in the pot. Cook until there is just enough sauce in the pot to cover the ingredients by half.
• Turn the heat off and ideally let the meat rest in the pot for 15-20 minutes before serving.

ONE-POT BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the beef all over, removing it to a plate with a slotted spoon as you go (you may need to do this in batches). Drizzle the rest of the oil into the pan. Peel the onions (but leave whole) and add to the pan, then scatter over the sugar. Sizzle for 5 mins, stirring now and then until starting to brown. Add the garlic, bay, cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves and oregano, and cook for 1 min more. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another minute, then tip in the beef along with any resting juices. Stir to coat in the spiced onion mixture.
• Add the red wine vinegar and chopped tomatoes. Rinse the cans out with the wine and pour it in, then add a third of a can of water. Season with salt and stir well. Bring to a simmer, stir again, then cover with the lid and transfer to the oven for 1 hr.
• Remove from the oven and stir again. If the sauce looks very thick, add a splash more water. Cover again and return to the oven for another hour, or until the meat is fork-tender - the timing will depend on the cut you've used. Serve hot. To get ahead, leave to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and chill for up to three days or freeze for up to three months. Defrost completely in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a pan over a low heat with a splash more water to loosen, if needed.

LAMB SHANK STIFADO WITH SAUTEED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a 9-quart heavy ovenproof kettle cook sugar on top of stove over moderate heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook sugar, stirring with a fork until melted and cook without stirring, swirling kettle, until a deep golden caramel. Add vinegar and stir until caramel is dissolved. Stir in tomatoes with juice, wine, rosemary, cinnamon, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add lamb shanks and braise, covered, in middle of oven until tender, about 2 hours. Braised lamb shanks improve in flavor if made 1 day ahead. Cool mixture, uncovered, and chill, covered. Skim and discard fat from mixture and reheat on top of stove before proceeding.
• In a saucepan of boiling water blanch onions 10 minutes, or until just tender, and drain. Cool onions and peel.
• Quarter potatoes and in a steamer set over simmering water steam potatoes, covered, 8 to 10 minutes, or until just tender. In a large non-stick skillet cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add potatoes with salt and pepper to taste and sauté mixture over moderately high heat 5 minutes, or until potatoes are golden.
• Transfer meat with a slotted spoon to a platter. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Add onions to sauce and boil until sauce is thickened slightly. Spoon sauce and onions over meat and surround with potatoes.

GREEK LAMB STEW WITH ORZO PASTA RECIPE (LAMB GIOUVETSI)

Steps:

• To prepare this lamb giouvetsi recipe, start by cutting the lamb into chunks. Wipe the lamb with paper towels. Heat 1/2 of a cup of olive oil into a pan, add the chopped onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes in medium-low heat. Turn up the heat and add the lamb; brown the meat on all sides until crusty.
• Stir in the tomato paste and pour in the red wine. Wait for the wine to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, a glass of water, the nay leaf, sugar and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
• Turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for at least 45 minutes.
• In the meantime into another pan heat 3 tbsps of olive oil and the orzo pasta. Sauté, until golden.
• Place the orzo pasta along with the meat and sauce in an oven tray (remove the bay leaf) and mix with a spatula. Cover the tray with some aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, add a glass of water if needed, and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with some grated hard yellow cheese (kefalotyri) and enjoy!

YUMMY LAMB STIFADO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 140 - 150oc (the lower the temperature and the longer you cook the Lamb the more tender it will be).
• In a large saucepan pour enough olive oil to cover the base of the pan. On a low heat, add the finely chopped onion and garlic and sweat for a few minutes
• Once the onions are softened add the tinned tomatos, passata, red wine, vinegar,bay leaves, herbs, spices, and salt and pepper and turn up the heat to medium.
• Once sauce is bubbling, add the honey. Turn heat down and leave to simmer uncovered.
• Whilst the sauce is simmering, brown the Lamb shanks on all sides in a dry frying pan on a high heat.
• Place the Lamb in a large casserole dish and pour the sauce over.
• Cover the casserole dish and place into the oven for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, turning Lamb every 30 - 40 minutes.
• Once the meat is falling off the bone, remove the Lamb from the dish and cut into chunks (the Lamb will be so tender you could do this with a spoon).
• Return the Lamb to the dish and remove bay leaves. Cook for a further 20 - 30 minutes.
• Crumble feta over the Lamb to serve.
• YUMMY! ;-).