Speedy Stifado – Greek Beef Stew

Stifado is a hearty Greek stew, usually made with braising beef, slow-cooked in a rich red wine tomato sauce with aromatic herbs, spices and loads of pearl onions or shallots. This cheat version, slightly adapted from Sainsbury Magazine, uses the homemade Greek meatballs instead of chunks of braising beef to deliver the layers of rich flavour in less than an hour.

Greek Meatballs	Stifado
800 g Ground beef 2 Shallots, peeled and finely chopped 2-4 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 15 g Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped ¾ tbsp Dried oregano 2 tsp Paprika 1 tsp Chilli flakes 2 tsp Salt ½ tsp Freshly milled black pepper 2 tbsp Tallow or olive oil	400 g Shallots, peeled, topped and tailed 2 Large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 3 Bay leaves 1 tbsp Dried oregano 1 ½ tsp Ground cinnamon 1/3 tsp Ground allspice Pinch of nutmeg 250 ml Red wine 1 x 400 g Crushed tomatoes 3 tbsp Red wine vinegar Salt and pepper

Combine the ground beef, chopped shallots, garlic, parsley, dried oregano, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper in a bowl. Use a cookie scoop to form the meatballs or lightly coat your hands with a bit of olive oil and shape the mixture into 20-22 meatballs. Do this in two batches if necessary.
Heat the tallow or olive oil in a large skillet and fry the meatballs for 5-6 minutes or until browned all over. Remove to a plate, then add the shallots to the pan. Fry for 8-10 minutes, or until just starting to soften. Add the sliced garlic and all of the herbs and spices and continue to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the wine to deglaze the pan. Let the wine bubble for a minute or two, then add the tinned tomatoes and vinegar. Season and bring to a simmer.
Return the meatballs to the pan, partially cover and simmer for around 20-30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency. Serve with orzo, pasta, bread or mashed potatoes if desired.

8 comments:

Tom 28/2/25 12:59: ...this would make a fabulous dinner!
DEZMOND 28/2/25 13:10: I was gonna say that those lil potatoes look lovely but those are shallots, right? LOL
Lola Martínez 28/2/25 13:38: Unas albóndigas estofadas siempre son una buena idea. Las has cocinado muy ricas.
eileeninmd 28/2/25 13:58: Another delicious recipe, thanks for sharing!
Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend.
Norma2 28/2/25 16:33: Angie, I tell you that here they usually prepare meatballs in tomato sauce and serve to accompany pasta. Of course
The condiments are very different and few: salt, oregano and some other that we find in our pantry.
Our cuisine is based especially on Spanish and Italian recipes and the one you have presented to us today has something of them.
Christine 28/2/25 18:10: Yummy
Beata M. 28/2/25 19:06: Delicious 😋💗
Bill 28/2/25 21:21: Thanks for the recipe. it looks good.