Entree: Greece – Peloponnese – Κοκκινιστό ➤ Kokkinistó (Greek slow-braised tomato stew of beef or lamb seasoned with warm spices)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 2 hrs

Total 2 hrs 20 min

Ingredients

- 2 lb (900 g) beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1½–2 in (4–5 cm) pieces
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped, about 8 oz (225 g)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced, about 9 g
- 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine
- 2 cups (480 ml) crushed tomatoes or passata
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) ground allspice (optional)
- 1 tsp (4 g) sugar (to balance acidity)
- 1½ tsp (8 g) sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley
- Cooked pasta, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread for serving (amount as desired)

Instructions

1. Pat the beef pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches until well-seared on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer browned meat to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion until translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes to develop the tomato flavor.
3. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up browned bits, and simmer until reduced by about half, 3–5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, browned beef, bay leaves, cinnamon, allspice if using, and sugar.
4. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook low and slow for 1½–2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender. Check occasionally and add a splash of stock or water if the sauce becomes too thick.
5. When the meat is tender, remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley and let rest 5 minutes.
6. Serve the kokkinistó hot over buttered pasta, hilopites, or mashed potatoes, spooning plenty of the tomato sauce over the meat.