Stifado is a traditional Greek stew which comes in either Rabbit or Beef varieties. Whilst it makes a fantastic and hearty winter dish, it's served in the Greek Island Taverna's all year round. Normally Stifado would be served with chunky bread, boiled potatoes or rice, however it's not uncommon to find it served with french fries in the tourist resorts!
Ingredients (feeds 4):
1 kg lean stewing beef
20-25 shallots
2 cans chopped tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 cup red wine
olive oil
malt vinegar
whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
fresh rosemary
fresh oregano
Method:
Cube the stewing beef and peel the shallots. Finely chop the garlic.
In a cast iron oven dish heat a small coffee cup of olive oil. Add the shallots (whole) and gently soften for five minutes. Add the cubed beef and brown on all sides.
Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic half a coffee cup of malt vinegar, a sprinkle of black peppercorns and the herbs. Continue to cook for around 10 minutes stirring occasionally then cover and transfer to a preheated oven (180 degrees celsius) and cook for one hour.
After this time, remove from the oven and stir in a glass of red wine. Return to the oven and continue to cook for another hour. Don't worry too much about the cooking time, the longer it stays in the oven, the more tender the beef!
Serve with a large slices of crusty bread and a glass of Greek red wine. Enjoy!
