really tender greek beef

elljay20

i just checked with oh and it was ragu, but i can't find any recipes like it, they all have carrot and celery in but i'm pretty sure the one we had didn't?

southernscouser

Hello stranger!

I thought this said 'geek beef'! :rotfl:

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

i have found a lamb ragout... don't see why you can't swap it to beef - I would use chunks of stewing/braising/shin etc

Arnaki Kapama - lamb ragout -serves 6

1.5kilo -3.3lb leg or shoulder of lamb
1 onion finely chopped
3tbs butter
4-5 ripe tomatoes - peeled an blitzed
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of sugar
salt n pepper

cut the "meat" into chunks,
heat the butter and brown the "meat" with the onion
add tomatoes, cinnamon, sugar and seasoning and a little water - and cook slowly for about 1-1 1/2 hrs

Hope that is closer...i will carry on trawling through my Greek cook book and post if i see anything else it might be

elljay20

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi there

i have found a lamb ragout... don't see why you can't swap it to beef - I would use chunks of stewing/braising/shin etc

Arnaki Kapama - lamb ragout -serves 6

1.5kilo -3.3lb leg or shoulder of lamb
1 onion finely chopped
3tbs butter
4-5 ripe tomatoes - peeled an blitzed
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of sugar
salt n pepper

cut the "meat" into chunks,
heat the butter and brown the "meat" with the onion
add tomatoes, cinnamon, sugar and seasoning and a little water - and cook slowly for about 1-1 1/2 hrs

Hope that is closer...i will carry on trawling through my Greek cook book and post if i see anything else it might be

that sounds more like it! thankyou

Lucie_2

I bought a stifado mix when on holiday in Greece, you just add a pinch of it to your beef casserole & it's really authentic. It lists the ingredients as cinnamon, nutmeg, bay, garlic, thyme & allspice.
I also use shin beef to make it, which is cheap, tasty & just melts in your mouth when you have cooked it for a few hours.
The recipe is as follows: 1kg beef, 1 cup olive oil, 2 finely chopped onions, 1 glass red wine (think I use a bit more!), 4 chopped tomatoes (I use a tin) 1kg tiny onions (shallots) 2 cloves of garlic, salt & a pinch of the mix. Cook in the oven for at least 2 hours.

Skint_Catt

southernscouser wrote: »

Hello stranger!

I thought this said 'geek beef'! :rotfl:

In that case it would just need a pair of thick glasses (no offence to anyone wearing them!)

Seakay

elljay20 wrote: »

half a pint of puree??:eek: doesn't it just come in little tubes?

No, you can get concentrated puree in different sized tins in some delis, but I get it from an Asian supermarket. If you get a large tin then you can freeze tablespoonfuls on a tray and then pack the lumps in a plastic bag - much cheaper than a tube.

Seakay

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi there

The "puree" might have meant passata..well i would think so anyway

No, passata isn't concentrated. I just use concentrated puree and add seasoning, but if you want the real deal then this is the recipe:

Several pounds of tomatoes are chopped up and put in a pan with a good deal of salt, and cooked until they are reduced to a pulp. They are then put through a sieve and reduced a gain over a low fire. The sauce is then put into bowls and left out in the sun until it becomes very dry.
Store in jars with a layer of olive oil on top to keep out the air.

I've made this a couple of times, but I use a mouli-legumes instead of a sieve, and cook for longer on the stove rather than drying in the sun. It is very salty, slightly smoky and very rich.

Seakay

elljay20 wrote: »

i just checked with oh and it was ragu, but i can't find any recipes like it, they all have carrot and celery in but i'm pretty sure the one we had didn't?

Stifado is a Greek ragout, and there are many variations of the recipe. In Crete you don't get many onions and what there are are ordainary ones sliced up.
In Kefalonia you are much more likely to come across really tiny onions, like cocktail onions.
As with most Greek country cookery, recipes come from what your Mum did etc, so I think that you can be pretty flexible. The one constant seems to be the inclusion of tomato and a long, slow cook.