Stifado Recipe (aka Greek Beef Stew)

These last few days of winter…well, I’m hoping they’re the last few….let’s try to savor the things that make winter cozy and warm. Eat hearty, rich, delicious food we won’t be eating come summer, light those candles in the house at night along with the fireplace and enjoy your home. The coming months will be for enjoying the outdoors.

One of my favorite things to cook and eat in the winter is this hearty, rich Greek beef stew called stifado that my mother would make for my father. I make a Keto version, but it’s delicious served with homemade french fries, pasta, mashed potatoes, rice or just good bread. Since we’re Keto, I bulk it up by adding mushrooms and we eat it like a stew.

Recipe:

• 2 lbs beef short ribs (or good quality stew beef cut into portions
• 3 lbs shallots cut in half
• One package of baby bella sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 of a cup olive oil
• 3/4 of a cup red wine or vermouth
• 3 tbsps red wine vinegar
• 1/3 of a cup cognac
• 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice or 3-4 allspice berries
• a pinch nutmeg
• salt and freshly ground pepper

1. To prepare this delicious Greek beef stifado recipe, heat the oil in a saucepan, add the meat (in batches) and sauté, until browned on all sides. Do not add all the meat in the sauce pan, rather sauté in batches, so that the temperature of the oil remains high and the meat is sealed. When done, remove with a slotted spoon, place on a platter, cover and set aside.
2. Carve the baby shallot onions crosswise, add in the same oil used to browned the meat, add the mushrooms, turn down to medium heat and sauté until the onions have softened, but not browned (about 10 minutes).
3. Pour in the cognac, the wine and red wine vinegar, cover and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Pour the meat along with its juices to the saucepan, add the can of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, allspice and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer the beef stifado for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened. While the beef stifado is simmering, check if it needs some water; you don’t want it to dry out. If it does, pour in half a cup of boiled water and stir. Towards the end of cooking time season well with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with homemade fries, mashed potatoes, rice or pasta and feta cheese. Enjoy!