Beef with vegetables in a tasty lemon sauce

A delicious, lemony, first-class dish for the Sunday table.

15 minutes preparation
2 hours cooking
Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

• 1 kg chuck steak, cut into 4 cm-sized cubes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 small celeriac root, cubed
• 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 70 ml olive oil
• Salt, freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. To make beef with vegetables in a lemon sauce, start by heating the oil in a wide pot over high heat and saute the leeks with the carrots, potatoes, celeriac and celery for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly until browned and slightly softened. Transfer to a serving dish with a slotted spoon.
2. In the same pan with the oil, add the meat and saute over a high heat for about 5 minutes, until well browned on all sides. Add the onion and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the bay leaf and enough water to cover the ingredients and cook for 2 minutes until the liquid comes to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until meat is tender.
5. Add the sauteed vegetables along with the juices that will have come out, oregano and salt and pepper and cook for another 45 minutes with the pot covered, until all the ingredients are thoroughly tender.
6. Add the lemon juice and turn up the heat. Cook, uncovered, for another 4-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.

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This article originally appeared in Gastronomos, Kathimerini’s monthly food magazine.