Lemonato - Beef cooked in lemon sauce with potatoes

This is another classic dish for a Sunday lunch. Most mothers around Greece have it as their favourite and of course each claims that "hers is the best"... You can cook it with beef or veal and the potatoes in this dish are the best part along with the nice syrupy lemon sauce. It's not a complicated recipe and the secret is to keep the heat very low and simmer the meat for hours

Ingredients (for 4-6 people):
2 large onions, sliced
100ml of olive oil
1Kg of boneless beef shoulder, cut in bite-size pieces
240ml of dry white wine
200ml of chicken broth (or more if needed)
1 tbsp of sugar
120ml of lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1Kg medium potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
Salt
Pepper

Method:
In a heavy-bottomed pot warm most of the olive oil in medium-high heat. Throw in the onions and sauté for about 8 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add the meat and brown well on all sides. Pour over with the wine and when it comes to the boil cook for 3 minutes, allowing some of the alcohol to evaporate.

Add the broth, the sugar, the lemon juice, the bay leaf and the garlic. Cover with the lid, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer initially for 50-60 minutes, adding some extra broth if needed. The sauce should cover the meat by two-thirds.

Then season with salt and pepper, add the oregano and continue simmering for another 40 minutes, again adding a little bit of broth if needed

In a heavy-bottomed frying pan warm the rest of the olive oil in medium heat and shallow- fry the potatoes until they are golden brown. No need to cook through because the potatoes will end up in the pot with the meat.

When the meat is almost done throw in the potatoes and simmer for about 30 more minutes. The meat, buy then, should be really tender, the potatoes cooked through and the food left with a nice thick sauce. Don't stir during this last stage so the potatoes won't lose their shape.

Serve while the food it is still hot.