Pastitsada is a specialty from the island of Corfu, located on the Ionian side of Greece. Braised Beef, rooster or chicken in an aromatic tomato sauce and served with Misko bucatini-type pasta.
This dish is so popular you can find that it’s found in all the Ionian Islands and it appears on menus throughout Greece.
Beef Pastitsada
3 lbs. stewing veal or beef
4-6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
5 allspice berries
3 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1/5 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup of dry red wine
3 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste diluted in 3 cups of hot water/stock
500 gr. of Misko #5 pasta (or bucantini)
1 cup of grated Kefalotyri (or romano) cheese
- Set the oven to heat to 350F. Rub the veal with coarse salt and fresh black pepper. Make shallow cuts all over the meat and insert the think slices of garlic (use about half).
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a oven-safe pot or casserole; then add the meat and sear on all sides. Reserve the meat.
- Into the same pot, add some more olive oil and saute your onions, grated carrot, the remaining garlic, bay leaves, cloves, allspice and cinnamon stick under medium heat for 10 minutes (enough to soften the onions).
- Deglaze your pot with the balsamic vinegar and white wine and scrape up to loosen all the brown bits. Add your tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and once everything has come to a boil, add your meat into the pot and place the lid on and throw it into the oven for 3 hours. (Part of the meat will be exposed, turn the meat each hour to keep all of it moist. The meat should be tender and flake off using tongs and a fork).
- Remove the bay leaves and set the sauce aside while you boil your pasta.
- When the pasta is almost al dente, strain the pasta and reserve for a few minutes. Using the same pot that you boiled the pasta in, put the butter in and melt over medium-low heat and let the butter brown. Once it’s turned “nut-brown”, add your pasta and half of your grated cheese and and some of the sauce and toss to coat well.
- Lay your pasta out on a platter and lay the pieces of juicy, flaky meat on top and pour more sauce over top. Finish the dish with more grated cheese and the bay leaves for garnish.
