Pašticada is a popular Croatian braised beef dish recipe cooked in a vegetable-based sauce, and sweet-and-sour flavor. It can be served with homemade pasta or gnocchi (njoki). It is often called Dalmatinska pašticada because it originates in Dalmatia in Croatia. It takes long time to prepare the recipe, because you have to stuff the meat first, leave it in marinate overnight, and then cook it for a few hours.  

Pasticada Dalmatian Beef Stew
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Pašticada

Traditional Dalmatian Pašticada, popular in Croatia is a hearty slow-cooked beef stew in vegetable-based sauce, and has a sweet-and-sour flavor, usually served with homemade pasta.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time4 hrs
Total Time4 hrs 20 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Croatia
Keyword: Beef
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 lb beef
  • 5 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 4 oz bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 4 cup wine vinegar
  • 1 parsley root, peeled and quartered
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 4 prunes
  • 3 onions
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut
  • 1 celery root, peeled and quartered
  • ½ cup prosek
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup red dry wine
  • 1 lb gnocchi
  • Parmesan cheese
  • ½ bunch parsley, chopped
  • salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

  • You should start preparing the meal the previous day, by using a sharp knife and cut small openings in the meat. Insert pieces of garlic, bacon in it.
  • Transfer the beef in a large dish pour some vinegar to cover it and leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
  • The next day, remove the meat from the vinegar and drain it, you can use paper towels to soak as much liquid as possible.
  • Remove from the meat the garlic, bacon and and keep them in a small bowl for later.
  • Turn the stove to a medium high temperature and place a large saucepan with olive oil.
  • Place the meat in the saucepan, dust with flour and cook on medium high heat and about 8 to 10 minutes by turning regularly until brown on all sides.
  • Remove the meat from the saucepan and transfer it into a roasting dish. Season the beef with salt and pepper, olive oil, lard, onions, celery root and carrots then cover it with aluminum foil and roast for 45 minutes.
  • You can use same saucepan with the oil and fry the onion, garlic and bacon for a few minutes, stir constantly.
  • Return the meat to the pot, add broth and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Return the meat to the pot, pour red and dessert wine, add the tomato paste, and cook covered on low heat for 3 hours.
  • After 1.5h add the bay leaf and prunes.
  • Check with a fork if the meat is tender, then transfer it to cutting board and and cut into thick slices.
  • The vegetables and sauce that have left transfer it and puree it into a blender.
  • You can serve with potato gnocchi and garnish with parsley.

Inspiration and adaptation: split.gg, kitchennostalgia.com, wikipedia.org
Photo: Popo le Chien/Wikipedia

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