Instructions

To make beef with vegetables in a lemon sauce, start by heating the oil in a wide pot over high heat and sauté 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.

In the same pan with the oil, add the meat and sauté 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.

Add the bay leaf and enough water to cover the ingredients and cook for 2 minutes until the liquid comes to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until meat is tender.

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.

Add the lemon juice and turn up the heat. Cook, uncovered, for another 4-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.

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