Pastitsada with Beef
Tender braised beef in a rich tomato and wine sauce, traditionally served over pasta or rice. A warming Greek island classic with deep, savory flavors from red wine and tomato paste.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 48g
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced to pencil-tip size
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 cups dry red wine
- 1.5 cups beef broth
- 2 whole bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup pearl onions, peeled
- 1 to taste salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 325°F and wait for the indicator light or beep to show it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels by pressing them gently so they brown better when seared.
- 3
Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over all sides of the beef cubes.
- 4
Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large Dutch oven and set it over medium-high heat until it shimmers and moves quickly when you tilt the pan, about 2 minutes.
- 5
Working in two batches, add half the beef cubes to the hot oil without crowding the pan and leave them undisturbed for 3 minutes until the bottoms turn dark golden brown.
- 6
Stir the seared beef and cook for 2 more minutes until all exposed sides are browned, then transfer to a clean plate.
- 7
Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the remaining beef cubes, then remove them to the same plate.
- 8
Add the diced red onion to the same pot and stir once every 20 seconds for 4 minutes until the pieces soften and turn translucent.
- 9
Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until the smell becomes strong and fragrant.
- 10
Stir the 3 tablespoons of tomato paste into the onions and garlic for 1 minute until it darkens slightly and coats everything, to deepen the sauce flavor.
- 11
Pour in 1.5 cups of red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the stuck-on brown bits from the bottom of the pot for 30 seconds.
- 12
Pour in 1.5 cups of beef broth, then add both bay leaves, 0.5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of oregano, stirring until evenly combined.
- 13
Return the seared beef and any juices from the plate to the pot and stir until the meat is covered by liquid.
- 14
Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat—you will see large bubbles breaking the surface continuously—then cover with a lid.
- 15
Move the covered pot to the preheated oven and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes until the beef is fork-tender and breaks apart easily when poked.
- 16
Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the 1 cup of peeled pearl onions, distributing them evenly throughout the sauce.
- 17
Return the covered pot to the oven for 20 more minutes until the pearl onions are soft enough to cut easily with a fork.
- 18
Remove the pot from the oven and lift out and discard both bay leaves.
- 19
Taste a spoonful of the sauce, then add more salt and pepper if needed until the flavors taste rich and balanced.
Tools you’ll need
- large Dutch oven with lid (at least 5 quart)
- paper towels
- large plate
- wooden spoon
- oven
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
