Veal Stifado
Submitted by colleenbryan
A hearty Greek stew of tender veal cubes braised low and slow with whole pearl onions, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves. Sealed in a casserole and baked until meltingly soft, this stifado fills the kitchen with the warmest spiced aromas.
Stifado is one of those Greek dishes that feels like a warm hug from someone’s yia-yia.
Cubes of veal get browned in olive oil, then slow-braised in a fragrant mix of tomatoes, red wine, vinegar, and whole spices like cinnamon stick and cloves.
The real star? Whole small onions arranged right on top, softening into sweet, silky bites as everything cooks together in a sealed casserole.
The vinegar adds a signature tang that keeps the rich, spiced sauce from feeling heavy. It’s the kind of one-pot meal that tastes even better the next day.
Pro Tips
- Score a cross into the root end of each peeled onion. This keeps them whole during the long braise instead of falling apart into layers.
- Seal the casserole lid with a flour-water paste for a truly tight seal. This traps every bit of steam and keeps the meat impossibly tender.
- Don’t stir the stifado while it cooks. Shake the casserole gently instead to keep the onions on top intact and beautiful.
- Let it rest 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. The sauce thickens as it cools and the flavors settle into each other.
Ingredients
Directions
In a baking-serving casserole, heat the oil, then add the veal and sauté on all sides.
Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Stir with a wooden spoon, then add the vinegar, wine, tomatoes, bay leaf, sugar, and enough water to cover the veal.
Arrange the onions over the meat, sprinkle the parsley and butter bits over the top, and slip the spices in between the meat and the onions.
Shake the casserole a few times, then cover with an inverted plate to keep in place and cover tightly with a lid (using a little flour-water paste around the inside of the lid to seal if you wish).
Bake in a slow oven (300 F) for 2 to 2½ hours or over minimum heat on a burner, until the veal and onions are tender.
Remove from the heat and serve warm.
Note: After peeling the onions, pierce the root end of each onion with the tip of a small, sharp knife, then slash again at a right angle to make a cross.
This will keep the onion whole and intact during the cooking process.
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