Pašticada 🍖 Dalmatian Beef 🇭🇷 (Dalmatinska Pašticada)

Description

Slow-braised beef in a wine–vinegar sauce with cloves, prunes, and pancetta—silky, sweet-savory, and brick-red, served with gnocchi. 🍷🌿

Hook: Overnight marinade + gentle braise = fork-tender slices and glossy, restaurant-level sauce. ⚡

Ingredients

• Marinade (overnight)
• 🐄 Beef roast (top round/silverside), tied: 1.2 kg (2.6 lb)
• 🍷 Red wine vinegar: 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, crushed: 12 g (4 cloves / 0.4 oz)
• 🌿 Bay leaves: 2
• 🌿 Fresh rosemary (small sprig) or thyme: 1 (≈3 g / 0.1 oz)
• 🌰 Whole cloves: 4–5
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈8 g / 1½ tsp)
• ⚫ Black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• Stew
• 🧅 Onion, fine dice: 300 g (2 cups / 10.6 oz)
• 🥕 Carrot, fine dice: 150 g (1 cup / 5.3 oz)
• 🌿 Celery stalk, fine dice: 100 g (¾ cup / 3.5 oz)
• 🥓 Pancetta/bacon, small cubes (classic): 80 g (½ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🫒 Olive oil or lard: 45 ml (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🍅 Tomato paste: 30 g (2 tbsp / 1.1 oz)
• 🍷 Dry red wine: 250 ml (1 cup / 8 fl oz)
• 🧃 Prošek (Dalmatian dessert wine) or port (optional): 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 💧 Beef stock or water: 700 ml (3 cups / 25 fl oz)
• 🍑 Pitted prunes, chopped: 80 g (½ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🍊 Orange peel, wide strip (optional): 1
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈10 g / 1¾ tsp)
• ⚫ Black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• To serve
• 🥔 Potato gnocchi (store-bought or homemade), cooked: 600 g (6 cups / 1.3 lb)
• 🌿 Parsley, chopped: 1 tbsp (4 g / 0.14 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Marinate (overnight): Stud beef with the whole cloves. Rub with 🧂 salt/⚫ pepper, then place in a nonreactive dish with 🍷 vinegar, 🧄 garlic, 🌿 bay/rosemary, and turn to coat. Cover and chill 12–24 h (flip once).
2. 2️⃣ Brown & base: Pat beef dry. Sear on all sides in 🫒 fat over medium-high 6–8 min; set aside. In the same pot, sauté 🥓 pancetta 2–3 min, then add 🧅 onion, 🥕 carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt; cook 8–10 min until lightly golden.
3. 3️⃣ Build sauce: Stir in 🍅 tomato paste 1 min. Deglaze with 🍷 wine (and 🧃 prošek if using); simmer 2 min. Return beef with any juices; add 💧 stock, 🍑 prunes, and 🍊 peel.
4. 4️⃣ Braise: Cover and cook gently on low (or in a 160°C / 320°F oven) 2–2½ h until fork-tender, turning once.
5. 5️⃣ Slice & finish: Lift beef out; tent with foil. Remove the clove studs. Blend or mash the sauce until silky (add water if too thick). Slice beef 1 cm thick; return to the pot and simmer 5 min. Adjust 🧂/⚫ and acidity (a splash of vinegar if needed).
6. 6️⃣ Serve: Spoon over hot 🥔 gnocchi; scatter 🌿 parsley.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 25 min (+ marinate 12–24 h)
🔥 Cook: 2–2½ h
⏳ Total: Active 30–35 min (plus braise)

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