Ingredients FOR THE BEEF 1200 gr beef 3 clov. garlic salt pepper 4-5 tbsp olive oil 1 large dry onion (very finely chopped) 2 carrots 1 stalk celery 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 pkg whole peeled tomatoes 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup hot water (or chicken broth) 1 bay leaf 3 allspice berries 3 cloves 1/2 cinnamon stick FOR SERVING 1 pkg thick pasta Plenty of grated Kefalotyri cheese TAGS SAVORY BEEF MAIN COURSES GREEK SUNDAY LUNCH TRADITIONAL FOOD Ingredients FOR THE BEEF 1200 gr beef 3 clov. garlic salt pepper 4-5 tbsp olive oil 1 large dry onion (very finely chopped) 2 carrots 1 stalk celery 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 pkg whole peeled tomatoes 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup hot water (or chicken broth) 1 bay leaf 3 allspice berries 3 cloves 1/2 cinnamon stick FOR SERVING 1 pkg thick pasta Plenty of grated Kefalotyri cheese Instructions BEEF Dry the beef very well with absorbent kitchen paper, ensuring it’s completely dry. Finely chop the onion, carrots, and celery into very small pieces. Mince the garlic and mix it with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, make small incisions in the surface of the meat and insert the garlic. Tie the meat with kitchen twine. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over high heat and sear the meat well on all sides for about 7-8 minutes. Remove the meat to a platter and keep it covered and warm. Lower the heat and sauté the chopped vegetables for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste, rub it with a wooden spoon on the bottom of the pot, and deglaze with the wine. Once the alcohol has almost evaporated, return the meat to the pot along with any juices released on the platter. Crush the peeled tomatoes by hand in a bowl and add them to the pot. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and add the hot water (or broth). Add the bay leaf, allspice, and a little salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, almost falling apart with a fork, and the sauce has thickened, for about 2 hours. When the beef is tender, cut it into smaller pieces and leave it in the sauce to simmer over very low heat for an additional 10-minutes to absorb the sauce. Check and adjust the salt and pepper. Towards the end of cooking, tie the cloves and cinnamon stick in a cheesecloth and add them to the pot to infuse the dish with their sweet aromas. Then remove the spices and keep the dish covered and warm until serving. PASTA Meanwhile, cook the thick pasta in plenty of salted water. Drain the pasta well, place it in a bowl, and toss with a little sauce from the beef. Mix well to coat the pasta with the flavorful sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with grated Kefalotyri cheese. Tips Proper searing, the biggest secret Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. There's nothing worse than putting a cold piece of meat in a hot pot to sear. The oil temperature will immediately drop, and instead of searing and caramelizing on the outside, it will start to boil and your pot will fill with liquid. Instead of browning, it will simply take on a boiled color and you'll lose half the flavor. At the same time, the meat will dry out, and no matter how much you boil it, it will become dry inside. Dry the meat very well before putting it in the pot for searing. Use a wide, heavy-bottomed pot for searing, over high heat and with a little olive oil. This way, the meat will get a nice brown color on all sides, making the dish very tasty. Sear the meat in small batches, because if you put too much in the pot at once, instead of searing and forming a crust, the oil temperature will drop, they will start to release their juices, and instead of searing properly with a nice crust, they will start to boil. What we achieve with searing is a nice brown crust all around, which will retain all the meat juices inside during cooking. 50% of the flavor of the stew lies in proper searing. Deglazing, the technique that concentrates all the aromas and enhances the flavor of the stew Every time we sear the meat for the stew, the meat juices solidify at the bottom of the pot due to the high temperature. You'll see the caramelized meat juices crystallizing at the bottom of the pot. Then, we deglaze the meat with wine or meat broth and scrape the bottom of the pot. This way, the solidified meat juices return to liquid form, and all the aromas of the wine combine with the flavor of the meat. This further enhances the flavor of the stew. The triad of ingredients that will elevate your dish Dry onion, carrot, and celery, finely diced and sautéed with the meat, will give a wonderful flavor and aroma to your stew. Don't omit them if you want everyone to talk about the unique flavor of your dish. Sautéing a little tomato paste in the stew will deepen its flavor and make your dish smell like summer. In general, tomato paste adds extra flavor to stews and beautifully thickens the sauces. The meat should be cooked over low heat for about 2 hours so that the connective tissues soften and the meat becomes tender and melts in your mouth. It's essential to simmer the stew covered so that the sauce doesn't evaporate and the meat becomes tender and succulent. Ideally, use beef chuck, as it's rich in intramuscular fat, which will help lubricate the meat during cooking. As a result, you'll have the most tender and flavorful dish. TAGS SAVORY BEEF MAIN COURSES GREEK SUNDAY LUNCH TRADITIONAL FOOD
