Stifado
“Στιφάδο (Stifado)”
Slow beef or rabbit stew loaded with small onions
Stifado
Stifado is a slow stew defined by its onions. The name points to a dish made with a lot of small whole onions, which cook down soft and sweet against tender chunks of meat. In Cyprus it is most often made with beef or with rabbit or hare, browned and then simmered for a long time until everything is meltingly soft. The Cypriot style is built on red wine and vinegar with warm spices, cinnamon, bay leaves and plenty of peppercorns, giving a deep, slightly sharp, aromatic sauce.
The dish is generally traced to the Venetian period on the island, before the Ottoman era, and the older versions did not use tomato, which arrived later. Many traditional Cypriot cooks still keep stifado tomato-light, leaning on the wine, vinegar and spice instead. It is a cool-weather dish, the kind of thing that suits a winter evening in the hills more than a summer lunch on the coast.
Where to try it
- At village tavernas in the Troodos mountains, especially in the cooler months.
- At traditional restaurants in Nicosia and Limassol.
- Often offered with rabbit, which is the older, rural version.
If you visit Cyprus in winter or spring, stifado is a good way to taste the island's slow, spiced cooking, a contrast to the summer grills. It is rich, so pair it with bread, a simple salad and a local red wine. The wine-and-spice character makes it a fitting meal after a cold-weather drive up to Mount Olympus or a visit to Kykkos Monastery.
Key ingredients
How to make Stifado
- 1
Peel the small onions whole, keeping the root end intact so they hold together during cooking, and set aside. Cut the beef (or rabbit) into large chunks.
- 2
Heat a little oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the meat in batches, turning until coloured on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same pot, add the whole peeled onions and cook for a few minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, until lightly coloured on the outside.
- 4
Return the meat to the pot and pour in enough red wine mixed with a splash of vinegar to come partway up the meat. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, whole cloves and peppercorns, and season with salt.
- 5
Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1.5 to 2.5 hours for beef, or about 1 to 1.5 hours for rabbit, checking occasionally and topping up with a little water if the liquid runs low.
- 6
Continue simmering, undisturbed as much as possible so the onions stay whole, until the meat is fork-tender and the onions are soft and glossy, and the sauce has reduced to a thick, dark, wine-rich consistency.
- 7
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then remove the cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves before serving hot with bread, rice or bulgur.
A home-style reference method; every family and kitchen has its own version.
Stifado questions
What meat is stifado made with?
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What gives Cypriot stifado its flavour?
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Where does stifado come from?
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When is the best time to eat stifado?
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