So that I don’t lose it: Stifado Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 2-3 lbs beef, cubed
• 2-3 lbs pearled onions
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes
• 1 cup dry red wine
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, bruised
• 1 tsp sugar
• Spice bag:
  
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon allspice berries
  • 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks

1. In a stew pot / dutch oven, over medium-low heat, add the chopped onion, half the olive oil, and ¼ cup water.  Cook until the wayer has evaporated and the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. To the onions, add the garlic and tomatoes.  Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick, about 20 minutes.
3. Rinse the beef, drain, pat dry.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet until hot.  Brown the beef over high heat, add to the tomato sauce.
4. Add the red wine to the skillet to deglaze, and bring to a boil while scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan.  Add the pearled onions and sugar, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the wine is reduced to a glaze and the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Add 3 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar to the onions, and bring to a boil.
6. Add the spice bag and the onions and wine sauce to the beef and tomato sauce mixture.
7. Cover and cook over low heat for 2-2½ hours.