Beef stifado

Ingredients

• 1½kg stewing beef, diced
• 250ml red wine
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 500g shallots, peeled
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• cooked pappardelle, to serve

Description

• STEP 1

  Put the beef in a large non-metallic dish or bowl and add the wine, vinegar, cinnamon sticks, garlic, bay, oregano, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. Marinate for as long as you can, and up to 12 hrs.

• STEP 2

  Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Drain the marinade from the beef and reserve. Put a large flameproof casserole over a medium heat and add 1 tbsp of the oil. Cook the shallots for 4-5 mins or until just browned. Remove with a slotted spoon. Use the remaining oil to cook the beef, in batches, until browned. Add the shallots and beef back into the pan with any marinade still in the bowl, tomato purée and chopped tomatoes. Fill the chopped tomato tin with water and pour into the pan. Add the sugar and bring to a gentle simmer.

• STEP 3

  Cook in the oven for 2 hrs, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven, discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaf, season and serve with pappardelle, if you like.