Prepare the beef. Remove the beef from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.

Combine the garlic with the salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, make small slits all over the beef. Fill each slit with a little of the garlic and seasoning mixture.

Rub the outside of the beef with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Tie the beef securely with kitchen twine to help it retain its shape during cooking.

Brown the beef. Heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Brown the beef on all sides for 7–8 minutes, until it develops an even, deep golden crust. Transfer it to a bowl, cover, and keep warm.

Prepare the vegetables. Roughly chop the onion and celery and pulse them in a food processor until finely chopped. Repeat with the carrots.

Add a little more olive oil to the same pot and sauté the chopped vegetables for 2–3 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute, stirring and scraping it against the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lightly caramelize it and release its flavor.

Pour in the white wine and let it simmer until the alcohol has evaporated.

Return the beef to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl.

Crush the whole peeled tomatoes with your hands or a fork and add them to the pot. They will break down as they cook, creating a rich tomato sauce. Alternatively, you can use 800 g of any type of chopped or crushed tomatoes.

Add enough hot water or stock to come about halfway up the sides of the beef.

Add the allspice berries and bay leaf. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for approximately 2½ hours, until the beef is very tender and almost falls apart when pierced with a fork.

Turn the beef occasionally in the sauce so that it cooks evenly. Alternatively, you can cook it in a pressure cooker, which will reduce the cooking time by almost half.

Toward the end of cooking, add the cloves and cinnamon stick and simmer for a few minutes to infuse the sauce with their aroma. Remove them afterwards.

Remove the beef from the sauce and cut it into portions. Return the pieces to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water according to the package instructions. Drain very well and toss with a little of the beef sauce, making sure the pasta is well coated.

Assemble and serve. Sprinkle some grated kefalotyri over the base of a large serving platter. Layer the spaghetti, beef sauce, and kefalotyri, repeating until all the pasta has been used.

Arrange the pieces of beef on top, spoon over the remaining sauce, and serve the roast immediately with plenty of grated cheese.