Vefa's Kitchen's Veal Stifado Recipe

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
July 14, 2009

We’re celebrating this month’s Baking Friday prize, Vefa’s Kitchen, the new bible of Greek Cooking, by sharing three recipes from the cookbook in the days before the sweepstakes. There will be an appetizer, a main and a dessert. Here’s the second.

ΜΟΣΧΑΡΙ ΣΤΙΦΑΔΟ
Moshari stifado

2¼ lb (1 kg) stewing veal or beef, cut into serving pieces
4½ lb (2 kg) small pearl (pickling) onions or shallots
1 cup (250 ml / 8 fl oz) olive oil
salt and pepper
3 cups (750 ml / 1¼ pints) puréed peeled fresh or canned tomatoes for the marinade
½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) olive oil
1 cup (250 ml / 8 fl oz) dry red wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
20 black peppercorns
10 allspice berries
4 garlic cloves

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the meat, turning to coat, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for 1–2 days. Remove the meat from the marinade and strain the liquid into a bowl, reserving the flavorings. Blanch the onions in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and peel. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan. Add the onions in batches, and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon. Add the meat to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned all over. Pour in the reserved marinade and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 of the bay leaves, 6 of the peppercorns, and 6 of the allspice berries. Add the tomatoes, cover, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the onions and 3 of the reserved garlic cloves. Re-cover the pan and simmer for 1½ hours, until the meat and onions are tender and the sauce is very thick. If the sauce has not reduced enough, strain it and boil rapidly until thickened. Pour it back over the meat and serve hot.

Serves 6
Preparation time 24–48 hours (including marinating)
Cooking time 2½ hours

VEFA’S KITCHEN
By Vefa Alexiadou
Phaidon Press
$45