AdvertisementAdvertisementTime:2 hours +Serves:6

This comforting Greek stew is a firm favourite of mine: falling-apart meat and whole, tender shallots or baby onions gently spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. A good splash of red wine vinegar gives this stew the classic brightness expected in a Greek stifado. I often serve this simply with crusty bread to mop up the sauce, but mashed potatoes or cooked orzo are wonderful options, too.

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Ingredients

  • 1.2 kg beef chuck, cut into 5-6cm pieces

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 kg French shallots (eschalots) or baby onions, trimmed, peeled and left whole*

  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 4 cloves

  • 6 allspice berries (pimento)

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

  • 2 fresh bay leaves

  • 1 tbsp tomato paste

  • 150ml red wine

  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

  • 500ml chicken or beef stock

  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

  1. Step 1

    Season the beef with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    In a large, heavy-based dutch oven or pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a high heat and brown the beef in batches. Remove the beef from the pot and lower the heat to medium.

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining olive oil and brown the shallots or onions. Add the garlic and cook for a minute further or until fragrant, then add all the spices and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute, stirring well to coat. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

  4. Step 4

    Pour in the red wine and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes or until beginning to reduce. Add the red wine vinegar and sugar and cook again for 1-2 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Return the beef to the pot, nestling the pieces among the shallots or onions. Pour over the stock, adding a little extra water to ensure the beef is mostly covered (usually about 150ml, but this will depend on the size of your pot). Season with salt and pepper.

  6. Step 6

    Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, then partially cover. Cook undisturbed for 2.5 hours or until the beef is very tender and the sauce has reduced. (Minimal stirring keeps the shallots intact.)

  7. Step 7

    Stir through the parsley, check for seasoning and serve with crusty bread, mashed potatoes or orzo.

*Hot tip: a simple way to peel the shallots or baby onions is to trim them, place them in a bowl and cover with just-boiled water for 5 minutes. The skins will then peel away easily.

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Julia Busuttil Nishimura is a Melbourne-based cookbook author, Good Weekend columnist and host of Good Food Kitchen.AdvertisementAdvertisement

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