Authentic Beef (or Rabbit) Stifado

A community recipe by StoupaTart

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

Beef Stifado consists of one large chunk of very lean, tender beef per person and lots of baby onions, all cooked together in a delicious sauce. You can't have too many onions in a stifado!

Ingredients

Serves: 6

Metric Cups

1½ kilograms lean beef
1 kilogram baby onions
1 kalamata oil (plenty)
4 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons tomato puree
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1 stick cinnamon (small stick)
4 allspice berries
250 millilitres red wine (1 large glass)
salt
pepper

3⅓ pounds lean beef
2⅕ pounds baby onions
1 kalamata oil (plenty)
4 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons tomato puree
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1 stick cinnamon (small stick)
4 allspice berries
9 fluid ounces red wine (1 large glass)
salt
pepper

Method

Authentic Beef (or Rabbit) Stifado is a community recipe submitted by StoupaTart and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Brown the meat in the oil and transfer to a large saucepan.

Do the same with the onions, tipping the oil from the frying pan into the pan too.

Add the garlic to the saucepan, and cook gently for 3 minutes.

Add the vinegar and wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and all the other flavourings. Add a little water, cover and bring to simmering point.

Leave to cook for 2 hours while you go to your local ouzeri for an aperitif -well thats what I usually do! Serve with crusty bread.

Brown the meat in the oil and transfer to a large saucepan.

Do the same with the onions, tipping the oil from the frying pan into the pan too.

Add the garlic to the saucepan, and cook gently for 3 minutes.

Add the vinegar and wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and all the other flavourings. Add a little water, cover and bring to simmering point.

Leave to cook for 2 hours while you go to your local ouzeri for an aperitif -well thats what I usually do! Serve with crusty bread.

Additional Information

Pickling onions or shallots would be perfect, but failing that you could cut larger red onions into quarters. Not as aesthetically pleasing, but the right sort of flavour. If you prefer rabbit to beef, marinade it in red wine before proceeding as above. I like a sweet & sour stifado, but adjust the flavours to your own taste.