A Kastania classic. Anyone who has eaten in our village has fond memories of Danae’s mouth-watering stewed beef in a red sauce (Kokkinisto, in Greek). Her beef always comes from free-range cows raised right near the village. The potatoes, garlic and onions always come from Danae’s own garden. Olive oil and wine are Kastania’s specialty, so these are definitely local. Do what the Kastania locals do, and serve over pasta or Greek-style fried potatoes (that is, hand cut potatoes fried in extra virgin olive oil).
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Kastania extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 lbs (1.5 kg) beef, cut into 2-3 oz pieces
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 cups water
- 24oz strained tomatoes, or fresh chopped
- 1 TBS allspice
- 1 TSP black pepper
- 2 TBS salt
Notes:
You can cut the beef into larger pieces if you like, though the cooking time will be longer than the 2 hours suggested in the video. You know it’s done when you can cut the beef easily with a fork.
You can also add cinnamon — 1-2 TBS would be enough Serves 6-8 adults We’ve had success with this recipe using tri-tip and London broil, though many other cuts of beef will likely work well.