Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Greek Beef Stifado with Small Onions

Name: Greek Beef Stifado with Small Onions
Total time: 2 h 29 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 900 g beef chuck; 500 g small onions; 400 g canned tomatoes; 250 ml red wine; 300 ml beef stock; 2 tbsp cooking oil; 3 cloves of garlic; 1 cinnamon stick; 4 whole cloves; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper

希臘小洋蔥紅酒燴牛肉

Greek Beef Stifado with Small Onions — finished dish

Total time: 149 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Greek Beef Stifado with Small Onions is organised into clear home-kitchen steps with truthful food states, heat levels and timings for a helper to follow.

Ingredients

Main ingredients

900 g beef chuck
500 g small onions
400 g canned tomatoes
250 ml red wine
300 ml beef stock
2 tbsp cooking oil
3 cloves of garlic

Seasoning

1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Greek Beef Stifado with Small Onions — ingredients overview

Tools

knife
cutting board
pot
lid
frying pan
tongs
wooden spoon
measuring cup
measuring spoons
serving plate

Steps

Step 1

Cut and dry beef

Cut all 900 g beef chuck into irregular butcher-cut chunks about 4 cm across, preserving visible solid-muscle grain and varied wedge-like edges; pat every face dry.

Step 2

Peel small onions

Peel small onions. Use 500 g small onions. Peel while leaving the root ends intact so the small onions hold together.

Step 3

Brown beef in batches

Heat all 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat and brown the 900 g irregular 4 cm solid-muscle beef chunks for 10 minutes in uncrowded batches, turning until every varied face carries a deep golden-brown crust.

Step 4

Brown whole onions

Brown whole onions. Use 500 g small onions, over medium heat, work for 5 minutes. Turn gently until the small onions are evenly golden but intact at the root.

Step 5

Add garlic and warm spices

Add garlic and warm spices. Use 3 cloves of garlic, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves, 2 bay leaves, over medium-low heat, work for 1 minute. Stir until the garlic and spices smell fragrant without darkening or scorching.

Step 6

Deglaze with red wine

Deglaze with red wine. Use 250 ml red wine, over medium-high heat, work for 3 minutes. Scrape the pan and reduce the liquid by about half until the sharp alcohol aroma softens.

Step 7

Add tomatoes and stock

Add tomatoes and stock. Use 400 g canned tomatoes, 300 ml beef stock, over medium heat. Bring to steady small bubbles without a hard boil.

Step 8

Return beef

Return beef. Use 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 900 g beef chuck. Return beef and its juices, turning until every piece is submerged with no dry area at the base.

Step 9

Braise covered

Braise covered. Use 900 g beef chuck, 400 g canned tomatoes, 300 ml beef stock, at a gentle simmer, work for 75 minutes. A fork slides in easily and the fibres pull apart while remaining moist.

Step 10

Add whole onions

Add whole onions. Use 500 g small onions. Lower all small onions gently into the sauce intact and return the liquid to a gentle simmer.

Step 11

Finish uncovered until tender

Finish uncovered until tender. Use 900 g beef chuck, 500 g small onions, at a gentle simmer, work for 25 minutes. The beef cuts with a fork, onions are whole and soft, and the sauce coats a spoon.

Step 12

Rest and serve

Rest and serve. Use 900 g beef chuck, 500 g small onions, off the heat, work for 5 minutes. Rest on a warm plate until juices redistribute; cutting should not release a flood of juice.

Common mistakes

Cutting the beef smaller than 4 cm dries it during the long braise.
Crowding the irregular chunks steams them instead of creating browned faces.
Adding the small onions at the start makes them disintegrate before the beef is tender.

Tips

Brown the irregular 4 cm beef chunks in batches to build savoury fond.

Add the small onions for only the final 25 minutes so they remain whole.