Kokkinisto

The greek speciality of today is called “Kokkinisto” – beef or veal stewed in spicy tomato sauce. This meal is very festive and often cooked at special days for example when you have guests or at Christmas.

The meat is accompanied by a tomato sauce (sometimes with a few vegetables like peppers in it) and can be served together with rice, potatoes or noodles. The recipe I present you is served with greek pasta.

All you need is (4 persons)

-          500g greek pasta

-          1 kg meat (veal)

-          2 onions

-          2 garlic cloves

-          400g / 3 tomatoes

-          2 tsp tomato paste

-          50ml dry red wine

-          40ml olive oil

-          Salt and pepper, spices your choice

-          ¼ tsp clove powder

-          100g Kefalotiri  

First of all you prepare the onions and the garlic, peel the tomatoes and blend them.

Give the olive oil in a big pot and brown the meat for about two to three minutes. Add the onions and the garlic and brown them together with the meat again for two to three minutes.

Deglaze it with the red wine and cook it until the liquid is vaporized. Add the tomato paste and the blended tomatoes and all spices. Cover the ingredients around 3 centimeters with water (500 – 700ml water). Bring it to the boil, lower the heat and simmer it for at least two hours. The meat should be extremely delicate.

Just a few moments before the meat is ready, cook the noodles. When the meat is ready, put it on a plate. Let the sauce cook over high heat for another three minutes. Add the noodles in the last minute to the sauce and cook it all together.

To serve, put the noodles on a plate, add the meat, the sauce and the Kefalotiri on the top.

Enjoy!