068Beef kokkinisto

Method

Classic Sunday beef braise. Traditionally spooned over tubular Greek macaroni (No. 2 or No. 5) or hilopites with grated kefalotyri.

You will need

• wide heavy casserole or Dutch oven
• wooden spoon
• tongs

1. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season lightly with a pinch of salt. 2 min Ready when: Meat surface is dry for better searing
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-high heat and sear the beef chunks in batches until browned thoroughly on all sides, then remove to a plate. 8 min Ready when: Good brown crust develops on meat
3. Turn the heat down to medium, add the chopped onions to the fat remaining in the pot, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and translucent. 7 min Ready when: Onions are tender and sweet without burning
4. Stir in the sliced garlic and tomato paste, stirring constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw paste flavour. 1 min Ready when: Tomato paste turns fragrant and slightly darker
5. Pour in the red wine, scraping up all the savoury browned residue from the bottom of the pan, and simmer for 2 minutes until reduced by half. 2 min Ready when: Alcohol smell dissipates
6. Return the beef and any rested juices to the pot, then add crushed tomatoes, water, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, bay leaf, remaining salt, and black pepper. 3 min Ready when: All ingredients are fully incorporated
7. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 75 to 80 minutes until the beef is fork-tender. 80 min Ready when: Beef yields easily when pierced with a fork
8. Uncover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens and red oil drops glisten on the surface, discarding the cinnamon stick and bay leaf before serving. 10 min Ready when: Sauce is dense, glossy, and coats the back of a spoon

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Make ahead and storing

Like most braised tomato dishes, kokkinisto develops a deeper flavour after sitting overnight in the fridge.

Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Substitutions

• country rooster or chicken thighs for beef chuck or topside. Rooster kokkinisto (koforas kokkinistos) is a legendary village festival dish.
• dry white wine for dry red wine. Common in many Greek homes when red wine is not open; creates a slightly fruitier sauce.

Common mistakes

• Rushing the onion softening step. Finely cooked sweet onions break down to form the natural thick body of the tomato sauce.
• Leaving whole sweet spices in the sauce for too long after cooking. A cinnamon stick left in hot sauce overnight can overpower the meat with harsh astringency.

Regional variants

• Kokkinisto me hilopites: tossed directly with Greek egg pasta in the pot before serving.
• Peloponnesian style: often uses whole cloves and a small splash of brandy alongside red wine.

About the dish

Kokkinisto, from the Greek word kokkino meaning red, refers to the fundamental Greek technique of gently pot-roasting meat in an olive oil, onion, wine, and tomato sauce. Beef is the most widespread choice for Sunday family dinners, though rooster, pork, and lamb are also commonly prepared this way. Spiced delicately with sweet spices such as cinnamon and allspice berries, it is almost invariably paired with thick macaroni, hilopites egg pasta, or mashed potatoes, topped with grated salty hard cheese.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, sunday lunch.

Cousins elsewhere

• Spezzatino al pomodoro (Italian). A similar Mediterranean braised beef ragù, though Italian versions rarely use whole allspice and cinnamon.
• Yakhnet lahma (Levantine). A tomato-braised spiced meat stew shared across the Eastern Mediterranean basin.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

645 kcal · protein 41.4 g · fat 44.2 g (saturated 14.1 g) · carbohydrate 15.4 g (sugars 7.2 g) · fibre 3.8 g · sodium 1151 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Following standard Greek family home cooking for Sunday tomato-braised beef with warm spices..