I was hoping somebody could help me. To christen my new cooker I attempted to make Beef Sofrito last night, as I love it so much whilst in Corfu. The instructions I had were very vague but I have been known to dabble in the kitchen and the end product was not at all bad, it looked about right and tasted very nice, however I did hit two problems. The first was the beef wasn't tender enough and the second was I appeared to use WAY to much garlic, proven by the fact that no one will come near me this morning and that my kitchen is almost uninhabitable, so at least I'm safe from vampires. All in all though I consider it a success.
If anybody has any suggestions on how to make the perfect Beef Sofrito or even has a full recipe (with instructions) then I will be eternally grateful, I'm hoping Dimitris may give me a few hints without giving away any secrets of course......
Ooh i love garlic, the more the better i say, at least you dont wake up with any teeth marks in your neck :-D !!
Well done on the attempt, practice makes perfect as they say, if you enjoyed it thats what matters.
pooeeee...Joe we can smell you from here.... ;-)
I've never tried to make Sofrito yet, but I know there are a few talented cooks on this forum who should be able to help.
But take a gander at this recipe for Sofrito from Corfu.... http://www.greek-recipe.com/static/content/Sofrito_from_Corfu.html
Eileenx
Thanks Eileen, thats actually the page I used to get the ingrediants from (great minds......) but the instructions are a little vague, hence my garlic mishap and ideally if possible I would prefer to do it in the oven. I'm so domesticated.
Right then here is the recipe as it appears in my book, I've not checked the previous online version to see how they compare:
Sofrito.
Veal in garlic and wine sauce.
4 slices rump veal, each 1/4-in/2cm thick
Flour
200ml Greek extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlci thinly sliced
1/2 bunch flat leaved parsley, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
200ml dry white wine
Salt Freshely ground black pepper.
Pound the meat and coat with flour. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry the meat. Add the garlic, parsley and the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat and fry for a few minutes, then add the white wine. Add sufficient water to cover all the ingredients, reduce the hear, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender. Serve with baked or mashed potaotes, or rice.
Eileenx
For anyone who is interested in Greek cooking or maybe even just drooling over mouthwatering images I can recommend the following book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Culinaria-Greece-Specialties-Marianthi-Milona/dp/3833110538/sr=1-1/qid=1168860084/ref=sr_1_1/203-7124642-8807957?ie=UTF8&s=books
It is large, heavy(!) with fabulous photographs and covers the history of regional dishes/wine and beer. Learn how Metaxa Brandy and Retsina are produced, what ingredients go into Greek feta, where is the sardine capital of the country!
LOL...it even makes a great display prop in the kitchen!
Eileenx
Joe remember Sofrita is VEAL where the caow are locked up and fed on milk from being born until they are slaughtered,the are NOT allowwed to eat grass,enjoy
I've only had veal a couple of times, once was on the ferry, but have to admit I enjoyed it. I have always had the tourist friendly version of Sofrito made with steak, although not as tradiational I prefer it this way. Thanks for that recipe Eileen, it looks like I was pretty close, what sort of beef would you use??
Has anybody else tried to make it at home?
Quote from: Eileen on January 15, 2007, 01:14:50 PM
simmer until the meat is tender.
See, that's the part that throws me. How long is that ? lol
Quote from: Lozicle on January 15, 2007, 02:05:30 PM
Quote from: Eileen on January 15, 2007, 01:14:50 PM
simmer until the meat is tender.
See, that's the part that throws me. How long is that ? lol
Ha, ha...until you don't have to spend 10 minutes chewing a piece!
Joe, I'm pretty useless with cuts of beef, I tell the local butcher what I intend making and then he advises! Thats the easy way, thank goodness I trust him!
you are correct joe in what you say about it being made with steak,True veal is very pale in colour,i will eat sofrito if it is steak,but i prefer a good stifardo either rabbit or beef both are delicous(correct spelling viv?).
Yes, when I had Veal on the ferry it almost looked like grilled chicken it was that pale, I just remember how incredibly tender it was. Stifado always sounds nice but I've never had it.
Quote from: Lozicle on January 15, 2007, 02:05:30 PM
Quote from: Eileen on January 15, 2007, 01:14:50 PM
simmer until the meat is tender.
See, that's the part that throws me. How long is that ? lol
The only way I can tell is to take some out of the pan and test it, I have no idea if there is a more scientific method.
Hi. Interesting to read about the recipes,as an ex proffessional cook. I, myself, would never eat veal, due to the fact that I do not agree with the way it is produced. I won`t bore you, but I always refused to cook it. I have noticed that it`s sometimes best to enquire what the ingredients are in a dish, before ordering! p.s. Garlic is good for the heart Joe. Love it. Don`t forget, it`s a natural "aroma". I`ve tried Greek dishes at home, but they never come out like in Arilas. There`s only one answer to that-------------------book a ticket. Back soon.
If I'm honest Lindypops I wouldn't knowingly eat Veal either. It was March when I was last on the ferry and had been in Arillas for nearly a week, at this time of year the restaurants or more accurately restaurant were very low on everything and there had just been a ferry strike, all you could get to eat was pizza, Pork or Lamb chops. After a week I was getting beef withdrawal so ordered it on the ferry. I was that hungry I wolfed it down without noticed its suspicious colour, it was only after eating I was told it was veal, doh. Have to be honest it was very nice and it really hit the spot but I wouldn't normally order it.
Checking back at the recipe it looks like I used 6 times more garlic than was recommended, that's very good news its good for the heart, doesn't really help my poor colleagues who have had to sit next to me all day though, ha ha.
Quote from: Lindypops on January 15, 2007, 05:55:03 PM
Hi. Interesting to read about the recipes,as an ex proffessional cook.
Whey hey Lindypops you have now set yourself up as our resident cookery expert :-) How handy is that...for the rest of us that is!!!
Keith had the misfortune to try a veal dish when we were in Rome in September. He only choose it as there was nothing else on the menu that he would eat so he thought he'd risk the veal. YUK, it came in a white sauce with mashed potatoes...just this revolting dish of anaemic looking food. The rest of us choked when we saw it, but tactfully declined from commenting until we saw his reaction first. Needless to say it went uneaten, afterwards we headed straight for the nearest late opening sandwich bar...yes another cheese and ham sarnie :-(
Eileenx
Hi, in my "Taste of a Place" - Corfu cook book it has this recipe.
"Sofrito, or beef stewed with garlic and parsely is one of Corfu's classic dishes. Traditionally, this recipe called for vinegar alone to be used in making the stew, but quite a few Corfiots think wine gives it a nicer flavour. It was suggested that in the past vinegar was used to hide the taste of iffy meat."
Recipe:
1.5 kg. rump steak, sliced 2 cms. thick
350 ml. dry white wine
100ml olive oil
2 tbsp decent wine vinegar (opt.)
1 head of garlic (probably as much as you used Joe!) peeled, crushed into a paste with salt
1 large bunch of parsley
1 twig of mint chopped
seasoned flour for dusting and black pepper
1. Cover each slice of beef with clingfilm and bash until thin with a rolling pin, roll each slice up into rolls.
2. Dust both sides of the rolls with flour and pat off excess.
3. Using heavy fry pan, brown the beef in batches in the oil, not too many at once or they will sweat.
4. Mix garlic paste with chopped parsley and mint. Put a layer of beef in a dish, scatter with black pepper and spoonful of garlic mixture and continue until all the meat is used up.
5. Add the wine and vinegar; if the meat isnt completely submerged add water until it is.
6. Simmer gently for an hour or so until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick.
Sounds great doesnt and so easy to make?
Thats great many thanks I'm looking forward to trying again. It appears I used the wrong type of beef which is easily fixed and I can see where I went wrong with the garlic, being a garlic novice I used the whole thing and didn't chop it up very well, way to much, ha ha!
I did the same when I cooked it but why do you put flour on the meat?
Joe, am not much of a cooking expert either but I think it's to seal in all the flavour in the meat and maybe thicken the sauce a bit! If I'm wrong, Fiona will know!
Thanks for that, I really had no idea.
If you roll it in seasoned flour and seal the meat by frying it first, which holds in the juices of the meat, then when you add the liquids it thickens the sauce up without adding any thickening in later. You can do that with anything that needs a sauce, like liver and bacon, chicken etc. If you do a long slow cook, like Klefitko, the beef will be really tender and melt in your mouth.
seeing I have all you cooking experts on here would I be able to do Sofrito in a slow cooker, I had one bought for me at Christmas?
I hope so as I am going to cook it Sunday in a slow cooker. Worth a try anyway.
excellent I shall try it as well, do you need to add more water (or wine :-) ) for slow cooking or would the ingrediants stay the same?
Well I bottled out of making Sofrito this weekend and had that other Classical Greek dish instead - Pizza and Chips! Perhaps not.
BG - How did yours go?
It was really nice. I didnt add any more liquid than the recipe stating, in fact I think I would add a bit less wine (more to drink!) as there was a lot of gravy, would have gone nice with mash though. The meat was very tender and had an unusual flavour with the vinegar and white wine and garlic but it was delicious. We had Tzatsiki (sorry about the spelling), hummous, olives and pittas to start, Sofrito, green beans and roasted veg (from my Corfu book), then a selection of little greek cakes and sliced soft fruits and coffee and wine in between. Very nice it all was... back to diet today though!
Sounds lovely, I'm liking the idea of having it with Mash, must have another go this weekend.
I love cooking with wine, some times I even put it in the food ;-) Viv
BG - Last question on this I promise......
How long did you slow cook it for, oh and if you slow cook can you use a cheaper cut of meat or is it best to stick to rump????
I put the slow cooker on about 2.30 and we ate about 6.30 and it was lovely and tender, but you could put it on for longer if you have a low setting on it. Mine hasnt, just an off/on switch. I used rump as that is what the recipe said but I think you could use whatever you liked. You could even do the large pieces of beef that we had once in Arillas in a more tomatoey/mixed spice sauce (cant remember the name of it).
Last year in Arillas was the first time ever I have ever had mashed potato in Greece, goes well with the lovely sauces.
I want to do Kleftiko, as Lamb is my most favourite meat. Our friend is a Greek Cypriot chef and he cooks it lovely so I want to have a go. Its strange though as he doesnt like Greek food he prefers Italian.
I could talk food all day so dont be afraid to ask if I can help, my cook books are always close by.
Blondegirl,
Mega hint hint!!!...I'm sure if you had a Greek night at your house we would all come along from far and wide just to sample your cooking...yummy!
Eileenxx
That would be fun!
I have cooked a greek meal before for about 24 people for an anniversary do and during the summer do a party in the garden, we eat most meals outside then anyway. Even cooked whole fish with herbs and lemons wrapped in wet newspaper (Jamie Olivers idea) in the oven and lamb cooked very slowly on the bbq and you just pull it apart at the table. Wonderful!
An idea would be for each guest to bring a dish they have made or bought that is greek. I want to get one of those two ring cookers this year so we can do table top cooking which would be great fun with everyone around, much more sociable. We love trying out new things.
I would love to see your neighbours faces if you had a full lamb roasting on a spit in your back garden, that would be priceless and once they smelt it I bet they would be round asking for some.
Thanks for all your help with the cooking, my Mum bought me a slow cooker before she left and I'm still try to master it so any help is greatly appreciated. It does have a low setting so I'll just bung in all in ingrediants and let it cook during the day, I love coming into the smell of cooking food.
If you do experiment with the lamb Kleftiko please post the recipe on here, lamb is my favourite meat to.
Will do... my neighbours do ask what I am cooking most of the time as they can smell it wafting through the windows, its all the garlic. Ha ha! I dont actually cook a whole lamb, even though I could eat it. Mike came home with half a pig once and we had to find space in the freezer and all the neighbours freezers for it. We nicknamed it 'Arfur' (halfa, sorry bad joke!) every time we had pork.