Kokkinisto, a Greek Red Sauce for Meat Recipe

Name: Kokkinisto, a Greek Red Sauce for Different Meats
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds meat of choice; 1 cup of olive oil, divided; 1 medium-large onion (finely chopped); 1/2 cup of dry red wine; 2 cups of tomatoes (chopped, fresh or canned, or concentrated tomato juice); Pinch of sea salt; Pinch of freshly ground pepper; 2 to 3 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 105 mins

Total: 2 hrs 5 mins

Servings: 6 servings

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Kokkinisto (in Greek: κοκκινιστό, pronounced koh-kee-nee-STOH) is a Greek term used when tomatoes are the base for a sauce for meat. The word means "reddened," since the meat turns red when cooked in the sauce. This sauce can be used for chicken, beef, pork, veal, and lamb. And because the long cooking time and sauce ingredients help tenderize even the toughest cuts of meat, the meat doesn't have to be expensive. This sauce is also used for meatballs.

With just a few simple ingredients such as your choice of meat, onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, and seasonings, this recipe can easily be put together. And with 1 1/2 to 2 hours of unattended cooking time, kokkinisto is the perfect recipe to make on a weekend and keep on hand for a quick dinner on a busy weeknight. It is delicious served over rice, potatoes, or pasta and only needs a salad to make a complete meal.

1 1/2 pounds meat of your choice
1 cup olive oil, divided
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned, or concentrated tomato juice
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Cut meat into serving-sized pieces (larger than bite-sized) or form into meatballs.
In a stew pot, sauté the onion over medium heat in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the oil until translucent.
Add remaining oil and raise the heat; add the meat, browning on all sides.
Add the wine and stir to bring down the temperature in the pot.
Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and tomato paste and stir until well blended.
Lower heat and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
Add a little more water if the sauce begins to dry.
Remove bay leaves and serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
617	Calories
50g	Fat
7g	Carbs
32g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	617
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 50g	64%
Saturated Fat 10g	50%
Cholesterol 104mg	35%
Sodium 114mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 7g	2%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 20mg	101%
Calcium 33mg	3%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 592mg	13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.