Name: Stifado (Greek Beef Stew with Pearl Onions)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 kg beef chuck, cut in large cubes; 600 g pearl onions; 4 garlic cloves; 150 ml red wine; 400 g chopped tomatoes; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 allspice berries; 2 bay leaves; 120 ml olive oil; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; Salt and pepper

Instructions

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1Peel the pearl onions (blanch 2 minutes to loosen skins). Season beef generously.

2Brown the beef hard in olive oil in batches; remove. Fry the onions in the same pot until golden at the edges.

3Deglaze with wine and vinegar, add garlic, tomatoes, paste, cinnamon, allspice, bay and the beef with its juices.

4Cover and simmer very low 2 to 2.5 hours until the beef yields and the sauce is dark and thick. Add the onions halfway so they stay whole and sweet. Rest 10 minutes; serve with fries, rice or crusty bread.

Chef's Tip

Vinegar at the start breaks down connective tissue and balances the sweetness of the pearl onions.

More tips ↓

Adding the onions halfway keeps them whole and jammy instead of dissolved into the sauce.
Cinnamon and allspice — not herbs — are the signature of stifado; dried herbs would make it taste like any other stew.

Stifado (Greek Beef Stew with Pearl Onions)

Ingredients

Instructions

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