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    Home » Recipes » Traditional Greek Food Recipes

    Beef Stifado

    Published: Jun 12, 2009 · Updated: May 8, 2021 by Peter G · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    a white ceramic dish filled with stewed beef pieces, onions and cinnamon - graphic header explaining the dish

    Beef stifado is a traditional and comforting beef stew that is ideal for cooler weather. Made with tender chunks of beef, red wine, baby onions, cinnamon and vinegar - it’s hearty and rich with a distinct aroma. Serve it over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles - and don’t forget the red wine!

    stewed beef and onions on a white ceramic dish with a bowl of rice in the background

    Stifado (pronounced Sti-Fa-Tho in Greek) is a Greek beef stew - typically made with tomatoes, onions and some type of meat.

    Making a traditional beef stifado is easy - the only laborious part is peeling the baby onions or shallots. Once all the ingredients have been combined, you can "set it and forget it" for a few hours.

    Stifado traditionally uses rabbit - known as rabbit stifado.

    Related: Try my Lamb Fricassee Recipe

    close up of stewed beef with onions and cinnamon

    I had purchased a whole heap of chuck steak from the butchers recently and preferred to use this in my preparation of this dish. 

    Chuck steak is ideal (and a very cheap cut of meat) for stewing and braising because it has connective tissue and collagen, which melts during the cooking process.

    Related: Try my soutzoukakia recipe

    a ceramic pot filled with a beef stew and a spoon oil the side

    I also substituted whole eschalots instead of baby onions.  The secret trick with this dish is the beef stifado marinade. Marinate your meat, preferably overnight, to really enjoy its distinctive, unique aroma.

    Once cooked it all comes together beautifully.  It's hearty, rich and very satisfying!

    close up of stewed beef with onions and cinnamon

    Beef Stifado

    Author: Peter G
    Beef stifado is a traditional and comforting beef stew that is ideal for cooler weather. Made with tender chunks of beef, red wine, baby onions, cinnamon and vinegar - it’s hearty and rich with a distinct aroma. Serve it over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles - and don’t forget the red wine!
    5 from 1 vote
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    Prep Time 1 hr
    Cook Time 2 hrs
    Marinating Time: 12 hrs
    Total Time 15 hrs
    Cuisine Greek
    Servings 4 serves

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 kg chuck steak, cut into even cubes
    • 750 grams onions, boiler onions / eschallots / baby onions (peeled)
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste, heaped

    FOR THE MARINADE:

    • ¾ cup red wine
    • 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 5 whole cloves
    • 2 teaspoons allspice berries
    • salt and freshly cracked pepper
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    Instructions
     

    • Place the chuck steak in a non reactive bowl along with the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours or preferably overnight.
    • Heat some olive oil in a large sauce pan and saute the eschalots for about 10 mins. We want them to soften a little and get lovely and caramelised. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.
    • Saute the chuck steak until it has browned in the same saucepan. Add the onions back along with the marinade mixture, the tomato paste and enough water to cover everything.
    • Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for about 2 hours or until the sauce has a lovely rich, thick consistency.
    • Serve with some plain steamed rice and a big glass of Aussie shiraz!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 673 kcal | Carbohydrates: 23 g | Protein: 50 g | Fat: 39 g | Saturated Fat: 17 g

    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

    © Souvlaki For the Soul

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    Peter Georgakopoulos owner of Souvlaki For The Soul

    Yeia sou! I'm Peter! I consider Greek food to be the best food in the world. Let me show you how easy it is to prepare traditional and modern Greek recipes in your kitchen. And bonus points if you like baking too!

    More about me →

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