Moshari sto pilino (μασχάρι στο πήλινο) is the name of the traditional Greek beef baked in an earthenware dish. To make this dish you need the following ingredients: beef, Greek olives, tomatoes, garlic cloves, olive oil, butter, red bell peppers, peppercorns, salt, and kefalotyri (or kefalotiri). Kefalotiri is a hard, salty white cheese made from sheep or goat's milk. Depending on the mixture of milk that is used in the process the color of kefalotiri varies between yellow and white. You can find kefalotiri in any Greek food store.
Cooking in an earthenware dish allows for slow and even cooking and helps to retain the natural juices. This moshari sto pilino recipe takes 15 minutes to prepare and two hours to bake.
Moshari sto pilino - Ingredients
- 1 ½ kg of beef, cut into small pieces
- 100 g of Greek olives
- 1 tin of tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons of Greek olive oil and
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- Pepper
- Salt
- 250 g kefalotiri cheese, cut into small cubes
Moshari sto pilino - How to Make
- Wash the meat, drain well, and dry it with absorbent paper.
- Put the meat in a deep earthenware dish (with a lid).
- Preheat oven to 150-160 C.
- Add the tomatoes, cubed cheese, cloves of garlic, ½ teaspoon of pepper, oil, butter, and a pinch of salt.
- Combine ingredients well and cover.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 2 hours.
- During baking time try to avoid lifting the lid too often and add water only if necessary.
- Just before the dish is ready add the olives. The sauce should be quite thick, not watery.