Oven Greek Stew (Lamb Stifado) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine
1/2 lb small boiling onions, peeled
1 lb medium new potato, unpeeled and cut into large pieces
4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can crushed tomatoes in puree
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons raisins (optional)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0.
Season meat as desired with salt and pepper.
In a big Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add meat; stir to coat but do not brown.
Place vegetables (onions, potatoes, and carrots) on top.
In a bowl mix together the garlic and next 7 ingredients; pour over stew.
Bake, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.
Stir in raisins and bake uncovered, 10 more minutes.
Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick; discard.
Spoon stew into large warmed bowls; sprinkle with feta cheese.