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Kokkinisto Greek Beef Stew

Kokkinisto Greek beef stew is a slow-simmered, cinnamon-scented red tomato sauce with very tender beef. Brown-in-batches technique builds deep flavor, then simmer until the sauce thickens for spoon-tender results over orzo.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef stew base
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck Cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
  • 1.5 salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 2 onions Finely diced.
  • 4 clove garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 0.5 cup dry red wine
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 allspice berries
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cooked orzo or potatoes For serving.
  • 0.25 crumbled feta and parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown and season the beef
  1. Season the beef chuck cubes with salt and black pepper. Brown them in batches in the olive oil in a Dutch oven until well browned, then set aside.
  2. After all beef is browned, keep the pot’s browned bits in the bottom. Return the beef to the pot when you start building the sauce.
Build the tomato-wine sauce
  1. Cook the onions for 6 minutes until soft in the same Dutch oven. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Pour in the dry red wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom to loosen browned bits.
Simmer until tender
  1. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, bay leaves, sugar, and the beef to the pot. Cover and simmer at a steady low simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick.
  2. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon stick, allspice berries, and bay leaves) from the stew. Serve the stew over cooked orzo or potatoes with feta and parsley on top.

Notes

Pro tip: Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer the whole time so it thickens without drying out—add a splash of water only if needed. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (leave orzo out when freezing). For a lighter option, use low-sodium feta and serve over potatoes or cauliflower mash instead of orzo.