Stifado (Greek Beef Stew)

Stifado (Greek Beef Stew) mains uper tender braised beef and pearl onions or shallots in a rich tomato, red wine and vinegar sauce flavoured with warm spices cinnamon and allspice. Greek Stews, comfort food Stifado (Greek Beef Stew) Greek, beef

Stifado (pronounced stee-FAH-doh) is a cozy classic comforting Greek Stew that is perfect for a dinner party or date night or an indulgent Sunday dinner/family dinner. My kind of meal for slow Sundays. Super tender braised beef and pearl onions or shallots in a rich tomato, red wine and vinegar sauce flavoured with warm spices: cinnamon and allspice. The onions sort of melt into the sauce and caramelize, giving the dish its signature sweet savory flavor. Great for a make ahead dinner too as stews like this taste even better the next day. Simply make the day before, chill them overnight, and then reheat and serving them the next day. They’re fabulous over mashed potatoes, creamy polenta or buttered noodles. An impressive meal - and an easy one. It’s a truly delicious and easy dinner!

Stifado - Greek Beef Stew

Stifado Recipe Ingredients

  • BEEF: I like to use boneless chuck roast because it is rich in connective tissue and fat, which breaks down during long, slow cooking to produce incredibly tender, moist meat and a thick, flavorful gravy.
  • PEARL ONIONS: This is a classic for stifado. Use either white or red pearl onions. If you can get your hands on some frozen pearl onion great if not I have some great tips on how to cook and peel them in recipe notes below. If you cannot find pearl onions feel free to use some small shallots or halved shallots. They melt and cook into the stew and really add to the flavor of the stew. Think caramelized onions and beef - so good!
  • FLOUR: This is for dredging the beef or sprinkling it over them to give them a nice coating before they are seared. This is optional but this thin, even coating of flour prevents the food from sticking to the pan and also promotes browning. It also serves as a buffer between the heat and meat so that it doesn’t dry out
  • VEGETABLE OIL: Use olive oil oil or any vegetable oil you prefer to sear the beef and to saute the veggies.
  • ONION & GARLIC: They add really nice flavour to the stew - feel free to use as much or as little as you like. You might think the onion is overkill but trust me it’s not. Although if you prefer to leave the diced onion out you can.
  • CARROTS: Not only adds a veggie to the stew but also naturally sweetens it.
  • TOMATOES & TOMATO PASTE: They add flavor and richness to the stew
  • WINE: Feel free to use any wine you enjoy drinking. I like to use a drier wine like Pinot Noir or a Cabernet Sauvignon works too.
  • BROTH: I use low sodium beef broth to control amount of salt in dish. Along with the wine this is what the short ribs braise in.
  • SPICES: There are some variations here but the most classic spices we use in our stifado are: cinnamon, all spice, oregano, thyme and bay leaf. Some people liek to add a little clove ut I think there is enough clove in the all spice so I don’t usually add it separately
  • SUGAR: A little goes a long way to balance acidity in the stew and enhancing the overall flavor profile. Feel free to substitute with honey if you prefer.

Stifado - Greek Beef Stew

How to Make Stifado

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe instructions below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make Stifado:

  1. Season beef and dredge in flour.
  2. Brown the beef in oil, then set aside.
  3. Sear the pearl onions, remove from pan and set aside.
  4. Saute the diced onion, garlic, and carrot
  5. Stir in the tomato paste
  6. Pour in the wine, vinegar and deglaze, followed by the broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, spices and sugar.
  7. Return the beef and onions to the pot.
  8. Simmer in the oven or stovetop until the beef is very fork tender, about 2-3 hours.
  9. Remove pot from oven and simmer stovetop uncovered until liquids reduced into a rich sauce to your liking

Stifado - Greek Beef Stew

Stifado - Greek Beef Stew

Stifado - Greek Beef Stew

Tips For Braising Beef

Follow these tips, and your beef stew will be perfect. You’ll get moist, flavorful and delicious beef every time:

  • Sear the Meat: doing so before braising is so important for building that rich flavor.
  • __Always Deglaze the Pot: __ to release all those brown bits at the bottom of pot that also adds much flavour
  • Don’t Add Too Much Liquid: you want the meat to braise not boil
  • Let Liquid Simmer Before Putting it in Oven: so it can maintain a low simmer in the oven - its like getting a jump start
  • Reduce Cooking Liquids: to create a richer thicker sauce or gravy after beef are finished cooking.

Stifado - Greek Beef Stew

Stifado Storage, Make Ahead & Freezing

  • MAKE AHEAD: The good news is that stifado like any beef stew can be a great make-ahead meal. The beef is braised until it is fully cooked, and then cooled in the pan and refrigerated overnight, still in its liquid. The next day, all the solidified fat is scraped off from the top, and the pot is gently reheated over a low simmer.
  • STORAGE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • REHEATING: Rewarm stifado in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
  • FREEZING: Freeze stifado in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Stifado - Greek Beef Stew

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Recipe

Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 mins
Total Time: 2 hours 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, well-marbled, cut into 1½-inch pieces
  • 1-2 tablespoon flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces pearl onions, frozen or fresh, peeled (see note)
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar vinegar
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 1 (14 oz) can finely diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon all spice
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Season the beef with salt and pepper and coat on all sides with flour.
  3. Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium high-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides for 1-3 mins. Remove on a plate and set aside. I usually do it in two batches adding a little more oil if needed.
  4. Turn heat down to medium. Add the pearl onions and sear stirring and cooking until they have a little colour on them then, 3-5 mins then remove them with a slotted spoon onto plate and set.
  5. Add diced onion, garlic, and carrot into the same pot and cook for 3-5 minutes
  6. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minutes
  7. Add the wine and vinegar and saute for further 2-3 minutes
  8. Stir in the broth and diced tomatoes along with the bay leaf, spices and sugar.
  9. Return beef and peal onions into liquid along with any juices from plate. Stir well.
  10. Allow the liquids to come to a boil or rapid simmer. Cover with lid and transfer to oven for 2 hours or until the meat can easily come apart with forks.
  11. Remove pan from oven and take off lid and feel free to simmer stove top for further 10-15 mins to reduce the sauce to desired thickness.
  12. Serve with mashed potato, rice, French fries or crusty bread

Recipe Note

  • To easily peel pearl onions, first, blanch them: cut off the root end, boil the onions for 1-2 minutes, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath to cool. Once cool, gently pinch or squeeze the stem end, and the skin will pop off.

Stifado - Greek Beef Stew