Greek cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Atzem Pilafi

Beef braised tender in tomato and cinnamon, with the rice cooked in the same pot to soak up all the sauce.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g beef shoulder
• 300 g long-grain rice
• 2 onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pinch sugar
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 40 g butter
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the beef shoulder into 4 cm cubes and pat dry, roughly dice the onions and finely chop the garlic.
2. Heat olive oil to high in a heavy pot and sear the meat cubes in batches, 5 min. each, until deep brown all over, then remove.
3. Sauté the onions in the fat for 6 min. until soft, add garlic and tomato paste and toast for 2 min. until the paste darkens and loses its raw smell.
4. Return the meat, add the canned tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, sugar, salt, pepper and 500 ml hot water, then braise covered gently for 75 min. until the meat falls apart.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, stir in the rice, top up with enough hot water to cover everything by 2 cm, and simmer covered over the lowest heat for 18 min. until absorbed.
6. Fold in the butter in flakes, let the pot rest covered with a cloth under the lid for 10 min. and serve the pilaf loosely fluffed.