Beef Stifado

Name: Beef Stifado
Yield: Serves 4–6
Ingredients: 2 bay leaves; 6 tbsp. olive oil; 1 tsp. aniseed or 2 star anise or 1 tsp. fennel seeds; 3 cinnamon sticks or cassia bark; 3 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 cloves of garlic, chopped; 5 tbsp. red wine vinegar; 1.5 kg shallots, peeled; 1.5 kg lean stewing beef (e.g. chuck), cubed

Preparation info

Serves
4–6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Real Greek

By Tonia Buxton

Published 2016

About

This is a wonderfully aromatic dish that fills the house with warming aromas of cinnamon and aniseed. This stew is traditionally served with orzo pasta but I like to soak up the slightly sweet tomato sauce with plain rice or pourgouri.

Ingredients

6 tbsp. olive oil
1.5 kg lean stewing beef (e.g. chuck), cubed
1.5

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based lidded casserole dish. Brown the meat in batches, setting aside in a large bowl.
Add the shallots to the hot oil and gently cook until golden and caramelised. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute before stirring in the vinegar with 300