This stew is not for the faint of heart. With a plate full of caramelized onions, it is rich in flavor and relatively easy to make. Traditional stifatho is made only with onions, however, many new recipes are including root vegetables.
Ingredients
1 kg cubed venison
25-30 small onions
1/8 cup vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
10 whole peppercorns
6 whole allspice
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups water or beef stock
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel the onions and rest them in cool water bath for 10 minutes. Note: if the onions are larger, cut them in half. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in an oven safe pot and brown the venison cubes on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot once browned and set aside. Drain and add the onions to the pot and continue cooking until the ends appear caramelized. Once caramelized, add the tomato paste and spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Return the meat and any drained juices back into the pot and add water to just cover. Add the additional oil, vinegar and sugar.
Bring the stock to a boil and once it is boiling, place the pot covered into the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Serve with bread.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Patataki 