Greek Beef Stew

Blanch onions in boiling water for 1 minute; drain and peel. In a kettle, melt the 1/2 stick butter over moderate heat, add the beef and toss to coat it with the butter, but do not let it brown. Add the wine, the stock, the tomato paste, the vinegar, the sugar, the cumin, the garlic, the allspice, the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste; bring the mixture to a boil and simmer the stew, covered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Add the onions and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.