Kokkinisto Moshari is a hearty Greek beef stew in tomato sauce. The sauce is rich, with warm, comforting spices like cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. The meat cooks low and slow until fall-apart tender, soaking up the delicious tomato sauce!
Table Of Contents
What's Kokkinisto?
Kokkinisto is a favourite home-cooked meal for Greeks. The word kokkinisto refers basically to a type of preparation, meaning stewed in red sauce. Therefore, any meat can be turned into a kokkinisto.
However, Beef Kokkisto (Moshari Kokkinisto in Greek) is the most popular. It cooks low and slow on the stovetop until the meat is fall-apart tender or, as the Greeks say, 'loukoumi'.
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Ingredients
- Beef for Stew: Use a chuck roast or chuck tender, cut into cubes (approximately 4 cm, or 1 ½ inches).
- Olive Oil: For searing and sauteing.
- Red Wine: You can use either a sweet or dry red wine, with 1 teaspoon of sugar added to the sauce to balance the acidity of the tomato.
- Tomato Paste: for a rich, strong tomato flavor.
- Tomato Passata: to give the sauce a thick, silky texture. If you prefer a chunky sauce, you can substitute crushed tomatoes.
- Onion
- Garlic: whole crushed cloves for a not-too-strong flavor.
- Spices: Allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. I'm using allspice berries (whole pieces) and whole cloves in this recipe; however, you can use them in powder form as well, as mentioned in the recipe below. Also, I'm using a small stick of cinnamon (they come in sizes). If yours is large (like most), you can break it in half and use only one half. So the flavor won't be too overpowering.
- Bay Leaf: I'm keeping it traditional here and using only bay leaf. However, you can add a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary for extra herby flavor.
How To Make
To make the best Greek beef stew, start by browning the meat. This is a very important step that will add the most flavor to the dish. Heat a generous splash of olive oil, and when it gets really hot, add the meat.
Brown for a couple of minutes on one side, then flip and brown on the other side as well. Ideally, the temperature shouldn't drop so that the meat continues to sear and doesn't start to simmer.
For this to happen, sear the meat in batches so it won't be overcrowded in the cooking pot. Also, don't add it all at once. Add it piece by piece, leaving a few seconds for the temperature to rise again. And last but not least, don't turn the meat too soon. Let it develop a nicely browned outer layer at the bottom first.
Once the meat is ready, remove it from the pot using a slotted spoon. And keep aside warm and covered.
Moving on, sauté onions until they are soft and golden. Crush the garlic cloves and toss them in together with the spices. Stir and toast the spices for a minute or two to make their aromas even stronger.
Next, add the tomato paste and cook and stir for a minute or two to caramelize, deepen its color, and reduce its acidity. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot. Let the alcohol evaporate, then add the remaining ingredients (bay leaf, tomato passata, hot water or stock) and also return the meat to the cooking pot.
Simmer covered at a low heat until the meat is fork-tender. Finally, raise the heat and cook partly covered until the sauce becomes thick and silky.
Serve With
Moshari Kokkinisto is served with thick, hollow macaroni pasta, such as Bucatini. Or with traditional Greek Hilopites. Another favorite way of serving this delicious Greek beef stew in tomato sauce is with potato fries. In Greece, we cut them into chunky, uneven pieces and fry them in olive oil until golden.
Plain steamed rice is also a classic accompaniment to Kokkinisto, and a side of feta is always welcome. If you want a delicious side that pairs well with both potato fries and feta cheese, try my Oven-Baked Potato Fries with Feta.
Recipe
Greek Beef Stew In Tomato Sauce (Moshari Kokkinisto)
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1500 grams (3.3 pounds) beef for stew chuck or chuck tender cut into 4cm (1½-inch) cubes/pieces
- 170 grams (1 large) onion minced
- 2 large garlic cloves crushed
- 60 ml sweet red wine or dry red wine + 1 teaspoon sugar added to the sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 500 grams (2 cups) tomato passata
- 2 bay leaves dried
- 12-14 pieces of cloves or ⅔ teaspoon ground cloves
- 10-12 pieces of allspice or 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 small stick of cinnamon
- 875 ml (3½ cups) hot water or stock
Instructions
- Season the meat with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a medium-sized cooking pot over high heat.
- Add the meat and brown on both sides. Do this in batches so the temperature won't drop. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside covered to keep warm.
- Saute onion in the same pot (if necessary, add an extra splash of olive oil) over moderate heat.
- Add the garlic and spices (if using ground spices, add them later on together with the passata). Cook for a minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes more stirring constantly for the paste to caramelize.
- Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot. Wait until it evaporates completely.
- Return the meat to the pot along with its juices. Add the tomato passata and the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper (add also the spices if using ground ones).
- Pour in the hot water or stock.
- Simmer covered for about one and a half hours at a low temperature. Or until the meat is fork-tender.
- Uncover and raise the heat to medium-high. Simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with potato fries, boiled rice, or your favorite pasta!
Made this while in Greece! Fabulous with a side of mashed potatoes.
Sounds good, reminds me of the French recipe called “Daub”. Thanks.
my favourite greek meal