Stifado with Feta

Ingredients

• 800 g beef from the shank (boneless)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 100 ml dry red wine
• 250 g passata (canned tomatoes)
• 400 g small red onions
• 400 g waxy potatoes
• 400 g Tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the beef, pat dry and cut into bite‑sized pieces. Heat oil in a braising pot. Add the meat in batches and brown well. Season with salt and pepper, then remove.

2. 2.

   Peel and finely chop the garlic. Add it with bay leaves, rosemary, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cumin and tomato paste to the pan and sauté while stirring. Return the meat, pour in vinegar, simmer for 2–3 minutes, then add passata, wine and about 400 ml water (covering the meat just barely). Cover and braise for about an hour.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile peel the onions. Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into thick slices. Add them to the stew and continue cooking for another hour; add more water if needed.

4. 4.

   Blanch the tomatoes briefly, cool, peel, quarter them and add about 15 minutes before the end of cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with feta cheese if desired.