Pastsitsada

Beef with tomato sauce and pasta / Greek traditional dish

Ingredients

• 1 kg of beef leg or shoulder cut into portions
• 2 tbsp. butter
• a little olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 -1 teaspoon spice mixture
• 3/4 cup Red wine
• 1 pack of chopped tomatoes
• 1-1 / 2 pack of thick spaghetti (pastitsio)
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• grated kefalotyri or dry grated mizithra for serving
• -
• Spice mixture
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon clove (pins)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon all spice whole
• 1 teaspoon red pepper (paprika)
• 1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Put all the spices in the blender and grind them until they become powder!
2. On high heat, melt the butter, sprinkle with a little olive oil your meat and brown the pieces of beef little by little on each side, until lightly browned.
3. Take them out and put them on a plate, where we keep them covered.
4. Then sauté the onion and garlic, stirring until the onion becomes transparent, without getting any color.
5. Put the beef back in the pot, as well as all the liquids that are left on the plate.
6. Sprinkle with the spice mixture, and leave for 1-2 minutes to warm up and release their aroma. Add the tomato paste and sugar and stir the bottom of the pot for 1 minute, so that the tomato paste is cooked and releases out its aromas.
7. Extinguish with wine.
8. Add the tomatoes and a little hot water to cover the meat. Cover the pot.
9. Lower the heat and simmer the beef until well softened. It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes for the sauce to set, and thicken and the meat to be tender!
10. The temperature should be on low heat, always with a lid, so that the liquids do not evaporate, but the meat should soften properly and enough sauce is left at the end.
11. Towards the end we add salt and pepper.
12. In another pot, boil the spaghetti in plenty of salted water. Drain, put them back in the pot, and while they are still hot add 2 tablespoons of butter, and a deep spoon with meat sauce. Stir gently to melt the butter and coat the spaghetti with the sauce.
13. Put them on a plate and add the meat. Pour over the thickened sauce. Sprinkle with plenty of grated cheese. Serve immediately.