Greek · Authentic-ish Greek
Kokkinisto
365 kcal a serving, against 630 for the traditional version. That is 265 kcal off, or 42%, with 46.7g of protein. Serves 6. 3 hours 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Big chunks of braising beef seared in an ungodly amount of olive oil and butter. It simmers for hours in red wine and crushed tomatoes until the meat completely falls apart, leaving a thick layer of bright orange oil floating on the surface of the sauce.
What changed, and what each change costs
150g of olive oil and 50g of butter down to just 15g of olive oil
You need a tiny bit of oil to start the onions and stop them sticking, but braising beef releases its own fat as it cooks. Chilling the stew overnight lets you lift off that residual fat too.
What it costs you. You lose that luxurious, oily mouthfeel. It changes the sauce from a rich, heavy emulsion into a slightly sharper, thinner tomato broth.
200g of red wine down to 150g of red wine
A heavy pour of wine brings lots of hidden sugar and alcohol. Scaling it back slightly sharpens the tomato flavour and saves some weight without losing that deep, dark colour.
What it costs you. You miss a tiny fraction of that heavy, sticky sweetness in the final sauce.
Eating it on the same day down to eating it 24 hours later
Boiling beef and eating it immediately leaves all the rendered fat in the sauce. Giving it 24 hours in the fridge lets you peel away the solid fat cap before you heat it up.
What it costs you. It requires serious patience. You can't cook this and eat it on the same day if you want the absolute best result.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 630 | 365 |
| Protein | 46.8g | 46.7g |
| Fat | 40.4g | 11.2g |
| Saturated fat | 10.8g | 3.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 13.6g | 13.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 7.4g | 12.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Greek prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. sulphites.
The method is in the book
What you've got is a leaner, sharper stew. A greasy taverna classic is a different dish and you know where to find it. The cinnamon and cloves punch through beautifully without all that excess fat getting in the way. It gives you all the comfort of a slow-cooked Greek dish, but you'll actually have the energy to leave the house afterwards.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Greek, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback