
Before our last predicted snow day, I hit the grocery store so I could hunker down and cook some wintry food. I bought meat and vegetables and things that would make a nice beef stew. When it came down to it, I kept think I wanted to do something a little different from standard stew (not that there is anything wrong with that). Boeuf Bourguignon? Maybe. I do love classic French cooking. But I really wanted to try something with a difference. And I remembered stifado, a spiced Greek dish, and I had all the ingredients to hand. Your basic beef stew ingredients – chunks of tender chuck, carrots, onions, red wine, but with the hit of sweet spices and savory herbs. Neighbors came over in the snow and we had a warming, comforting feast with a twist. And the fragrance in the house with this simmering on the stove is like a warm hug.
If you can find frozen pearl onions, that saves a little work, but directions for easily peeling fresh ones below. I usually buy stew meat from the butcher counter, but you can also cut a large roast into nice pieces. I bundle the herbs and whole spices in a mesh tea ball or a little piece of cheese cloth, which is much easier than picking them out of the cooked stew. You can serve this on its own, or on top of mashed potatoes or curly noodles or orzo pasta. I actually served this on that snowy day with some roasted baby potatoes tossed in olive oil and sprinkled liberally with Greek seasoning and I loved that combination. Stifado is great served when you make it, but cool it, cover the pot and refrigerate overnight – the flavors will continue to develop. Add a little beef broth or water and reheat gently on the stove.
Ingredients
8 ounces pearl onions, frozen or fresh (see note)
1 small red onion
1 large or 4 medium carrots
2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 Tablespoon flour
kosher salt and fresh black pepper
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or put through a press
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground allspice
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups red wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
5 – 6 whole cloves
4-5 allspice berries
3 stems of rosemary
3 stems of thyme
Directions
- If your pearl onions are fresh, peel them and set aside (see note below instructions). If they are frozen, take 8 ounces out of the fridge. Finely dice the red onions. Cut the carrot into small, bite sized pieces that will easily fit on a spoon or fork when you are eating the stew.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels. You can place the meat in a bowl or on a plate, then sprinkle it with the flour and generously with salt and grinds of black pepper. Toss to coat the meat with the flour. Heat about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a 5 – 6 quart Dutch oven that can go in the oven over high heat. Brown the meat in the oil in batches – do not crowd the pan or it will not brown well – turning the pieces with tongs to brown all sides. When the meat cubes are browned on all sides, remove to a clean plate and continue until all the meat has a nice browned crust. Turn the heat off under the oil and let it cool for about 5 minutes, then add the diced onion and turn the heat to medium high. Cook until the onions are soft and glassy, around 5 – 8 minutes, then add the carrots, stir and cook for a further 5 – 8 minutes until the carrots are beginning to soften. Add the garlic, stir and cook for one minute, then add the tomato paste and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, just until the tomato paste has darkened to a deep brick red color. Sprinkle over the oregano and ground allspice and stir. Pour in the red wine and stir to scrape up the lovely browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, then return the beef and any collected juices to the pot. Drain some of the liquid from the diced tomatoes and add to the pot giving it a good stir. Stir in the pearl onions. Drop in the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
- Make a little herb bundle by tying the rosemary, thyme, cloves and allspice berries in a little cheesecloth bundle, or do what I do and put them in a mesh tea infuser. Drop this in the pot. Bring the stew to a bubble, give it a good stir, cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 ½ hours, checking every 30 minutes and giving it a gentle stir, until the meat is falling apart tender. If it looks dry at any point, you can add some water or beef broth. If its saucier than you like, put it back on the stove uncovered over medium heat and cook to thicken the sauce, stirring to prevent sticking, but not stirring constantly.
- Serve with roasted potatoes, noodles or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- To peel pearl onions. Use scissors to cut a tiny bit off both the stem end and the top. Put some ice and water in a bowl, then bring a small pan of water to the boil and drop in the onions. Boil for 2 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer to the ice water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze from one end and the onion will pop out. You can reserve the blanching water and use that in the stew if it needs loosening.
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