Pastit*ada - A Beef Stew From Corfu | Greedy Gourmet (2024)

Pastit*ada is a beef stew, slow cooked in a tomato ragu with spices, such as cinnamon. Perfected over many years on the Greek island of Corfu, the dish actually has its origins in the Verona region of Italy.

Originally known as Pastissáda, the Italians would make the dish using any available meat – including beef, chicken and even horse meat (Pastissáda de cavál). That was a long time ago and, nowadays, beef – specifically beef braising steak – is the go-to main ingredient.

With a combination of onions, garlic, chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, black pepper and spices, the rich tomato sauce is supremely tasty. When slow cooked in the oven with the beef, it's simply out of this world.

For an authentic pastit*ada, use kefalograviera. It's a common Greek cheese made from sheep's cheese. It tastes salty with a slight nuttiness and is absolutely delicious when grated over this dish.

You could also use grated parmesan, which brings that same nutty, salty, rich taste.

Ingredients

Scale

Browned Beef

• 30ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 1kg (2.2lbs) beef braising steak

Greek Stew

• 30ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 x 400g (2 x 14oz) cans of chopped tomatoes
• 6g (1 tsp) salt
• 4g (2 tsp) allspice
• 1.5g (½ tsp) ground cinnamon
• 0.5g (¼ tsp) ground cloves
• 1 bay leaf

To serve

• cooked spaghetti
• grated parmesan or kefalograviera cheese
• 6g (¼ cup) chopped parsley

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1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan 130°C/300°F/gas mark 2.
2. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof dish over a high heat. Add a third of the beef and cook for 5 minutes until well browned. Set aside on a plate and repeat to brown the remaining meat.
3. Add the onions to the pot. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until just starting to colour.
4. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
5. Return the beef to the pan and give it a stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any caramelized bits of meat from the base of the pan.
6. Tip in the tomatoes and all the spices. Give it a good stir and ensure that the meat is submerged in liquid.
7. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat until a slow simmer is reached.
8. Cover with a lid and place in the oven. Cook for 3 hours or until rich and thick. It’s a good idea to check in on the beef stew every hour to see if it needs topping up with a splash of water. You don’t want the sauce to dry up with stringy meat.
9. Season to taste and serve on a bed of pasta of your choice. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

• For a top quality beef stew, use homegrown tomatoes instead of canned. Plunge them in just boiled water in order to peel them, then deseed them before adding them to the beef. Pure bliss!
• Since I don’t like chunky tomato pieces in stews and sauce, I blended the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth before adding it to the meat.
• Different cuts of beef need different cooking times. It’s always a good idea to check on the stew every once in a while and give the meat a poke until it gives way under the fork.
• Traditionally, in most cases the stew is served on a bed of spaghetti or penne.
• This Greek beef stew freezes well.