Beef stifado

Slow cooker - You can pop it in the oven for three hours or slow cooker for six. We highly recommend this one from Morphy Richards that's available at Amazon.

This is a great dish to slow cook and we've included a few shortcuts to make it easier for a busy family household. Stifado translates as a stew with lots of onions! If you want to go really native you can replace the beef with rabbit but beef has always been a very popular version.

If you want to use more beef simply increase the amount of onions by the same - the meat and onions should be of equal portions.

If you haven't got all the spices don't panic! As long as you add the cinnamon you'll get a similar (and still delicious) stew.

What do you serve with beef stifado?

Beef stifado is a robust dish that can stand alone, but it pairs wonderfully with a variety of accompaniments. A classic choice is to serve it with rice, allowing the rich sauce of the stifado to soak into the grains. Alternatively, if you've included ample new potatoes in the stew, you can enjoy it straight from the bowl, savouring the tender meat and flavourful onions.

What is the best cut of beef for slow cooker stew?

When it comes to creating the perfect beef stifado, opt for a cut of meat that benefits from slow cooking. Stewing beef, often taken from tougher cuts like chuck or brisket, is ideal for this purpose. These cuts are marbled with connective tissue that, when cooked low and slow, transforms into succulent, melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

Can you overcook beef stew in a slow cooker?

While slow cookers are designed to gently cook food over an extended period, it's still possible to overcook your beef stifado. If left in the slow cooker for much longer than the recommended time, the meat can become overly tender to the point of falling apart. To avoid this, follow the suggested cooking times and instructions closely.

How do you thicken beef stifado?

If you find that your beef stifado isn't as thick as you'd like it to be, you can easily remedy this. Towards the end of the cooking time, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a small amount of cold water to create a slurry. Gradually stir this slurry into the stew and allow it to simmer for a few more minutes. The stew will thicken as it cooks.

What is stifado made of?

Stifado is a delightful medley of flavours that primarily revolves around beef, onions, and aromatic spices. The key ingredients include stewing beef, baby onions, new potatoes, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, bay leaves, garlic, black peppercorns, cloves, red wine vinegar, red wine, stock (or water), and fresh parsley for garnish.

What is a stifado?

Stifado is a Greek dish that embodies the essence of comfort food. It's characterized by tender chunks of meat, often beef or rabbit, slow-cooked with an abundance of onions and a blend of warm spices. The dish derives its unique flavour from ingredients like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, which infuse the stew with a rich, aromatic taste that's synonymous with Greek cuisine. The result is a harmonious fusion of savoury and sweet, making stifado a true culinary masterpiece.

Time-saving Option

While the traditional recipe calls for whole baby onions, you can opt for a time-saving approach by using sliced white cooking onions. This modification maintains the essence of stifado while making the preparation process a bit quicker.

Family-Friendly Modification

If you're preparing beef stifado for little ones who might be sensitive to spice, feel free to omit the black peppercorns. This adjustment ensures that the dish remains mild and child-friendly, catering to even the pickiest eaters.

Gluten-Free Goodness

If you're following a gluten-free diet, consider embracing the potato-rich version of beef stifado. With a generous helping of new potatoes, this adaptation becomes a wholesome and gluten-free one-pot meal.

Vegetarian Delight

For a vegetarian version of this Greek classic, consider swapping out the beef for hearty mushrooms or protein-rich Quorn pieces. The earthy flavours of mushrooms or the chewiness of Quorn can create a satisfying alternative that's equally comforting.