Corfu sofrito — beef in a garlic and parsley sauce

Pat the beef dry and cut across the grain into eight slices about 8–10 mm thick. Gently even out thicker areas with a meat mallet through parchment paper, without pounding the meat into thin cutlets. Finely chop the garlic, then chop the patted-dry parsley leaves and divide them into two 15 g portions. Have ready a wide, heavy skillet with a lid, about 30 cm in diameter.

Sprinkle the meat with all the salt and pepper. Put 20 g flour on a large plate and coat the slices very thinly, gently shaking the excess back onto the plate. Save the remaining flour and whisk it thoroughly with 50 g cold water from the ingredient list. This slurry will go into the sauce later and be cooked; do not save it for other dishes.

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in three uncrowded batches, using a total of 30 g olive oil, for about 2–3 minutes on each side. The slices should develop browned patches, but the flour must not blacken; lower the heat if necessary. Transfer the meat to a plate, saving all the juices that collect. Do not pour the fat out of the skillet.

Reduce the heat to low and let the skillet cool slightly if the oil is sizzling vigorously. Add the remaining 10 g olive oil, all the garlic and the first 15 g parsley. Stir for about 30–60 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly softened. Do not let it brown, which would give the pale sauce a bitter flavor.

Pour in 30 g white wine vinegar, followed by 150 g white wine, taking care around the steam. Increase the heat to medium and cook for about 3–4 minutes, stirring and loosening the browned bits from the bottom with a spatula. The liquid should reduce slightly. This brief cooking does not mean that all the alcohol from the wine has disappeared.

Return the meat with all its plate juices. Pour in 250 g water, stir the flour slurry in 50 g water again and add it all. Gently shake the skillet to arrange the slices with a little overlap. Cover and braise over low heat for about 45–60 minutes, turning the meat halfway through. The sauce should barely bubble. If the slices still resist a fork noticeably, continue braising with the lid on.

Once the beef is tender, remove the lid and add the remaining 15 g chopped parsley. Cook gently for about 5–8 minutes more, shaking the skillet and spooning sauce over the meat. The sauce should lightly coat the slices while remaining fluid. If it thickens sooner, stop heating; do not reduce it to a dry layer and do not remove the oil from the surface.

Serve the hot sofrito in four portions, with two slices of beef each. Divide all the sauce among them, including the garlic, parsley and olive oil left in the skillet. Transfer leftovers to a shallow container, cool without leaving them on the counter for a long time and refrigerate within 2 hours. Use within 2 days, reheating gently until the entire dish is hot.