Best Stifado Recipes

BEEF STIFADO IN THE SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and cook beef, onion, and garlic until meat is browned on all sides and onions are soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, rosemary, salt and a good pinch of black pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until ingredients blend, about 3 minutes. Add wine and vinegar and stir to combine.
• Turn slow cooker to Low setting. Pour beef mixture into slow cooker and stir in ketchup.
• Cook on Low until beef is tender, 6 to 8 hours.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a skillet and cook shallots until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cooked shallots to stew for the last 1 to 2 hours of cooking.
• Remove and discard cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and rosemary sprig before serving.

BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• Heat half of the butter and half of the first tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half of the beef cubes on all sides, and place into a large saucepan. Repeat with the remaining butter, olive oil, and beef. Stir the onions and garlic into the oil remaining in the skillet, and reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine, and bring to a simmer, then scrape the onions into the saucepan with the beef.
• Season the beef with salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and orange zest. Pour in the diced tomatoes and water. Cover, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; then reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the pearl onions, and cook until they are well browned, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. After the beef has simmered for an hour, add the pearl onions, recover, and continue simmering 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid, and simmer, uncovered until the stew has reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the orange zest before serving.

GREEK-STYLE BEEF STEW (STIFADO)

Steps:

• Place beef in a bowl and season generously with pepper and kosher salt. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use; up to 1 day is fine.
• Leaving the root ends in place, cut off the shallot tops. Remove and discard skins.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add ½ of the beef and cook until nicely seared, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and repeat to sear remaining beef.
• Turn off the heat and add 1 tablespoon oil to the empty skillet. Add shallots and let the skillet cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat back on to medium and toss shallots until browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove shallots to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet with onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add red wine vinegar and white wine and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Increase heat to medium-high and add sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, oregano, bay leaves, and rosemary sprigs. Stir to combine and cook until reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add browned beef and shallots to the skillet and toss carefully until coated. Pour in 2 cups beef broth and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low or medium-low. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour, then uncover and cook for at least 1 more hour, stirring occasionally to move the beef and shallots around. Add more broth if needed during the cooking time and skim off some fat if preferred. The meat is done when a fork slides in easily, but the meat isn't falling apart on its own; it may take longer than 2 hours.
• Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

CROCK POT STIFADO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef-- in batches if necessary, adding more oil if needed.
• Transfer beef to crock pot with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce heat to medium and add onions to skillet, cooking until soft; add garlic, cinnamon and allspice and cook for 1 minute.
• Add vinegar, tomato sauce, sugar and bay leaf and stir well to combine.
• Pour mixture over meat.
• Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until beef is tender.
• Add feta cheese, cover again, and cook on High for 10 minutes.
• Discard bay leaf and serve over hot buttered pasta or mashed potatoes.

CROCK POT BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• Cover the onions with boiled water, stand for 5 minutes, drain, peel and set aside.
• Dust the beef with the flour.
• Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef, transfer to the crock pot.
• Heat the rest of the oil and on a high heat brown the small onions for approx ten minutes.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onion and the garlic, fry for another 5 minutes.
• Now add the rest of the ingredients, mix and warm through then transfer to the crock pot.
• Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until tender.

ONE-POT BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the beef all over, removing it to a plate with a slotted spoon as you go (you may need to do this in batches). Drizzle the rest of the oil into the pan. Peel the onions (but leave whole) and add to the pan, then scatter over the sugar. Sizzle for 5 mins, stirring now and then until starting to brown. Add the garlic, bay, cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves and oregano, and cook for 1 min more. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another minute, then tip in the beef along with any resting juices. Stir to coat in the spiced onion mixture.
• Add the red wine vinegar and chopped tomatoes. Rinse the cans out with the wine and pour it in, then add a third of a can of water. Season with salt and stir well. Bring to a simmer, stir again, then cover with the lid and transfer to the oven for 1 hr.
• Remove from the oven and stir again. If the sauce looks very thick, add a splash more water. Cover again and return to the oven for another hour, or until the meat is fork-tender - the timing will depend on the cut you've used. Serve hot. To get ahead, leave to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and chill for up to three days or freeze for up to three months. Defrost completely in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a pan over a low heat with a splash more water to loosen, if needed.

RABBIT STIFADO

Steps:

• Rinse the rabbit pieces and place them in a mixing bowl together with the bay leaves and vinegar; mix well and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight; remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan until hot, add the rabbit and fry the pieces until quite brown on all sides; add the tomato paste, bay leaves (left over from the marinade), sugar, garlic, spices, wine and the hot water.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to the boil mixing well then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan; add the onions and sauté gently for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden all over; after the rabbit has been cooking for 1 hour, add the onions and oil from the frying pan to the saucepan; combine, then re-cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes; fish out the cinnamon stick, allspice berries and rosemary sprig.
• Note: This can be served with pasta, noodles, rice or oven-roasted potatoes, but my personal favourite is homemade french-fries, which taste delicious dunked in the spicy sauce.

KITTENCAL'S BEEF STIFADO (GREEK STEW WITH FETA)

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• Add in the beef cubes (cooking in batches) cook until browned remove to a plate.
• Repeat with remaining beef.
• Return the first batch of beef back to the pot.
• Add in the oregano, onions and garlic; cook stirring with wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes.
• Add in wine with all remaining ingredients except the currants and feta cheese; bring to a boil, simmer covered over medium-low heat for about 1-1/2 hours, then discard the whole cloves and bay leaves.
• Add in the currants and continue to cook (uncovered) over very low heat for about 30 minutes more, or until the beef is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle in the feta the last 5-6 minutes of cooking and push down slightly with a spoon.
• Season with more salt and freshly ground pepper if needed.
• Ladle into bowls and serve with crust bread or buns.
• Delicious!

GREEK CHICKEN STEW (STIFADO)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the shallots, and cook uncovered for 3 minutes until just tender. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water, or rinse with cold water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the shallots are cold, drain well, and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until oil is hot and butter is melted and bubbling. Add the whole, blanched shallots and chicken pieces to the skillet and cook, turning chicken pieces over until no longer pink inside and shallots have softened and turned translucent, about 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and cook for another 3 minutes, until garlic starts to turn golden.
• Pour in red wine and tomato sauce, and add the parsley, salt and pepper, oregano, and bay leaves. Pour the chicken stock over the chicken pieces to cover, and stir to combine.
• Simmer the stew, covered, over medium-low heat for about 50 minutes, until the shallots are soft and the chicken is tender.

SLOW-COOKED BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• In a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker, toss the beef with the flour until evenly coated. Mix in the onions. In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, red wine, cumin, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water until well blended. Stir into the beef mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-7 hours or until meat is tender, but not falling apart. Stir in the sugar.
• Serve topped with the walnuts and the Feta cheese. Serve over noodles or rice.

LAMB SHANK STIFADO WITH SAUTEED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a 9-quart heavy ovenproof kettle cook sugar on top of stove over moderate heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook sugar, stirring with a fork until melted and cook without stirring, swirling kettle, until a deep golden caramel. Add vinegar and stir until caramel is dissolved. Stir in tomatoes with juice, wine, rosemary, cinnamon, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add lamb shanks and braise, covered, in middle of oven until tender, about 2 hours. Braised lamb shanks improve in flavor if made 1 day ahead. Cool mixture, uncovered, and chill, covered. Skim and discard fat from mixture and reheat on top of stove before proceeding.
• In a saucepan of boiling water blanch onions 10 minutes, or until just tender, and drain. Cool onions and peel.
• Quarter potatoes and in a steamer set over simmering water steam potatoes, covered, 8 to 10 minutes, or until just tender. In a large non-stick skillet cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add potatoes with salt and pepper to taste and sauté mixture over moderately high heat 5 minutes, or until potatoes are golden.
• Transfer meat with a slotted spoon to a platter. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Add onions to sauce and boil until sauce is thickened slightly. Spoon sauce and onions over meat and surround with potatoes.

MUSHROOMS STIFADO (A VEGETARIAN GREEK STIFADO)

Steps:

• In a pot heat olive oil anD cook onion and garlic stirring for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the onions. Cook in high heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the wine and after 2 minutes the tomatoes. Salt and pepper stirring carefully.
• Transfer the onions and mushrooms in a pyrex and cook in a preheated oven at 390F for 45 minutes.

GREEK FLANK STEAK STIFADO

Steps:

• Cut steak across the grain, slicing on the diagonal (partially freezing the meat helps), to make thin strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper In a small bowl, mix cinnamon, oregano, ginger and allspice.
• Sprinkle this mixture over steak strips.
• In a large deep frying pan or wok, melt butter with oil over medium high heat and add steak and brown on all sides, a third at a time so as not to crowd the meat.
• Remove the strips when they are well browned.
• When all the meat is browned, reduce the heat to medium and add the slivered onion.
• Cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
• Blend in garlic, brown sugar, tomato paste and vinegar.
• Add the wine and bring to the boiling point.
• Cover and reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes.
• Increase heat back to medium and cook and stir onion mixture, uncovered, until it is slightly reduced and thickened.
• Mix in beef strips and any juices that collected; turn meat gently, coating with onion mixture until heated through.
• Transfer to a warm serving platter and sprinkle with feta cheese and parsley.

RABBIT STIFADO

Steps:

• Season rabbit with salt and pepper to taste. Coat the bottom of a large oven-proof saute pan or casserole dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place over medium-high heat, and brown rabbit on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Brown in batches if necessary; do not crowd pan. Remove rabbit to a platter.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add red onions and pinch of salt. Saute over medium heat until onions are slightly wilted and begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and stir. Add Cabernet Sauvignon and Mavrodaphne, and stir, scraping bottom of pan. Raise heat to medium-high, and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add rabbit to pan with any juices from platter. Add chicken broth, allspice, sachet and black pepper to taste. Bring to boil, then remove from heat. Cover pan, and place in oven. Let rabbit simmer for 40 to 60 minutes; while it is cooking, prepare the pearl onions.
• In a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 teaspoon butter, and add the pearl onions. Sprinkle with sugar, and saute, shaking pan or stirring, until onions are golden brown on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
• When rabbit is done (the meat will give easily when pierced with a fork), remove it to a serving platter and keep it warm. Place pan on stove over medium heat, and add the onions. Bring the pan liquid to a boil and whisk in remaining teaspoon of butter. Check for seasoning, and add salt, pepper or mavrodaphne, if desired. Ladle sauce over rabbit. Garnish, if desired, with diced fresh tomatoes and fried onion rings.

MUSHROOM STIFADO

Steps:

• Soak the dried porcini in warm water for 1 hr. Heat half the oil in a large, wide-bottomed pan. Add the whole onions and a pinch of sea salt, and cook over a low heat until caramelised, about 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove the onions and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cut the fresh mushrooms into halves and quarters, to give rough 4cm pieces. Once the onions have been removed from the pan, add the remaining oil and cook the fresh mushrooms and garlic over a medium heat for 10 mins until browned, stirring frequently. Return the onions to the pan, pour in the wine and cook for 5-10 mins until reduced by half.
• Strain the porcini, reserving 200ml of the soaking liquid. Tip the porcini and reserved liquid into the pan with the tomato purée, vinegar, bay leaves, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and tomatoes.
• Cook, uncovered, over a medium-low heat for about 1 hr, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens. Add the olives and honey, and season to taste. Sprinkle with the parsley and cheese and serve with Horseradish mash (see 'Goes well with').

STIFADO (TRADITIONAL GREEK STEW)

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes, vinegar, stock, 50 mls olive oil, garlic, cinnamon stick, orange zest, honey, bay leaf and cumin in a large casserole pot with a lid.
• Stir through the beef until coated and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
• Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add onions and sugar and cook until browned.
• Pre heat the oven to 160°C.
• Add onions to marinated beef and cover.
• Cook for 2 ½- 3 hours until tender.

CROCK POT BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• In a crock pot, toss the beef with the flour until evenly coated.
• Mix in the onions.
• In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, red wine, cumin, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water until well blended.
• Stir into the beef mixture.
• Cover and cook on low 6 to 7 hours or until meat is tender, but not falling apart.
• Stir in the sugar.
• Serve over noodles or rice, topped with the walnuts and Feta cheese.

OVEN GREEK STEW (LAMB STIFADO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Season meat as desired with salt and pepper.
• In a big Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add meat; stir to coat but do not brown.
• Place vegetables (onions, potatoes, and carrots) on top.
• In a bowl mix together the garlic and next 7 ingredients; pour over stew.
• Bake, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir in raisins and bake uncovered, 10 more minutes.
• Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick; discard.
• Spoon stew into large warmed bowls; sprinkle with feta cheese.

BEEF STIFADO

Steps:

• Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• Place butter in the bottom of a large crockpot.
• Add the meat and turn to coat with butter.
• Arrange the onions over the meat.
• Mix the tomato paste through the garlic, and pour over the meat and onions, but do not stir.
• Add the bay leaf through the raisins; do not stir.
• Simmer on low 8-10 hours.
• At serving time, remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves and stir the stifado gently to blend.

CROCK POT STIFADO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef-- in batches if necessary, adding more oil if needed. Transfer beef to crock pot with a slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium and add onions to skillet, cooking until soft; add garlic, cinnamon and allspice and cook for 1 minute. Add vinegar, tomato sauce, sugar and bay leaf and stir well to combine. Pour mixture over meat. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until beef is tender. Add feta cheese, cover again, and cook on High for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves and serve over egg noodles.