Ingredients
- 2 lb stewing beef cut into large pieces, sub with mushrooms or rabbit
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 lb onions, salad (red) quartered
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 43.5 ozs tomatoes, canned, chopped 3 X 14.5 oz (400 gram) cans
- 1 tbsp juniper berries or pimentos
- 1 tsp cloves, ground
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp salt, ground sea
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 bay leaves torn
- 1 cinnamon, stick (quill)
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
Recipe Description
Here is a simple, classic Greek/Cypriot stew. Beef, marinated overnight with easily sourced ingredients, and then slow cooked with salad onions and tomatoes. Beef may be replaced with rabbit or lamb. Or cut out the meat and use portobello mushrooms.
Recipe Directions
1. Make the marinade first. In a mortar, add juniper berries, ground cloves, fennel seeds and salt. Pound. Then add the garlic and pound again until well combined. Remove paste to a bowl, large enough to hold all of the meat. Add remaining marinade ingredients and stir well to combine. Finally, add the beef and stir well to ensure all of the beef is well coated with marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
2. In a large, heavy-based saucepan or flame-proof casserole dish, over a medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the quartered salad onions and cook until golden all over and starting to caramelize. Then add the meat and marinade, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes. Add enough cool water to barely cover the stifado. Bring slowly to the boil, then simmer for 2 hours. Check for seasoning about half way through.
3. Serve over orzo (traditional) or rice or mashed potatoes. Accompany with a village salad.
