Bœuf kokkinisto grec

Brown the beef

Pat the beef chunks completely dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, without crowding the pan, until deeply golden on all sides. Browning well, not just greying the meat, is what builds the deep flavour of the final sauce; take your time and don't rush this step.

• 1.2 kg beef
• 60 ml olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

✅ C'est prêt quand : every piece has a deep brown crust, not a pale grey surface

Soften onion, cook paste

Remove the beef and set aside. Lower the heat, add the onion and garlic to the same pot and cook, stirring, until soft and golden. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, letting it darken slightly in the pan; this toasts the paste and takes away its raw, sharp edge.

• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

✅ C'est prêt quand : the onion is soft and the tomato paste smells sweet, not sour

Deglaze with wine

Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift up the browned bits stuck there; this is where a lot of the flavour is hiding. Let it bubble for a couple of minutes so the sharp alcohol smell cooks off.

• 250 ml red wine

✅ C'est prêt quand : the wine has reduced slightly and no longer smells sharply of alcohol

Braise low and slow

Return the beef to the pot along with the crushed tomatoes, stock, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, sugar and the remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover, lower the heat right down, and simmer for 2½–3 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce should barely bubble; a hard simmer will toughen the meat instead of melting it.

• 1.2 kg beef (from step 1)
• 400 g crushed tomatoes
• 500 ml beef stock or water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

✅ C'est prêt quand : the beef is fork-tender and falls apart easily when pressed

Thicken the sauce

Uncover the pot and check the sauce; if it still looks thin, simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes more over medium heat, stirring now and then, until it clings to the meat. Taste and adjust the salt.

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon

Finish and serve

Fish out and discard the cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves. Spoon the beef and its sauce over hot pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.

• 1 cinnamon stick (to remove)
• 4 cloves (to remove)
• 2 bay leaves (to remove)
• to serve pasta, orzo, rice or mashed potatoes