Best Moussaka Recipe | Saveur

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 bay leaves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 lb. ground beef
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided, plus more for dusting
• ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, divided
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• One 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 3 large eggplants, sliced into ¼-in.-thick rounds
• 5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼-in.-thick rounds
• 1 cup coarsely grated graviera cheese, or Gruyère
• Freshly ground black pepper