Mouthwateringly tender meat full of Mediterranean flavours, this classic, slow-cooked Greek stew will be a welcome addition to your summer meals. This recipe serves between 6-8 people and is well worth the wait. Serve with rice, pasta or potatoes. If you have any leftover pop into a tupperware box and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Each serving works out at 240 calories. Slow cooking your beef is a great way to get flavour out of this meat, it makes it extra moist and tender. Classic Greek flavours with a rich red wine sauce.
Ingredients
For the marinade
2-3 sprigs rosemary
2-3 bay leaves
2tsps dried or 2 tbsps freshly chopped oregano
125ml red wine
2tbsps red wine vinegar
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3-4 cloves
1-2 cinnamon sticks, broken into large pieces
For the beef
750g-1kg diced beef
6tbsps light olive oil
500g shallots or small onions, peeled
400g can chopped tomatoes
2tbsps tomato purée
1 beef stock cube
Orzo pasta, to serve
Oregano leaves, for garnish
Method
Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade, then stir in the beef, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for a few hours or, preferably, overnight.
Set the oven to 180°C/356°F/Gas Mark 4. Heat 2 tbsps of olive oil in a large pan and cook the shallots, or small onions, for 7-10 mins, until they start to turn golden, then remove them from the pan and set aside. Drain the beef as well as possible, reserving the marinade juices.
Heat 2 more tbsps of oil and cook half the drained beef until it’s seared on all sides and starting to turn brown, then transfer it to a casserole dish. Heat the remaining oil, cook the rest of the beef and add to the casserole.
Pour the marinade into the pan and add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, the stock cube and 100ml water. Bring the mixture to the boil, then pour it into the casserole over the beef. Season. Cover the dish and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
Add the shallots or onions to the casserole, re-cover and cook for a further hour, or until the meat is tender. Serve with orzo, garnished with oregano leaves.
Nutritional information per portion
Calories 240(kcal) Fat 12.5g Saturates 2.8g
