Pasticada is Dalmatia’s celebratory sweet-sour beef braise, traditionally paired with potato gnocchi.
An overnight wine marinade, slow covered braise, and blended vegetable-prune sauce give the beef depth without heavy sweetness.
Let the roast rest before slicing across the grain, then warm the slices in the finished sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with homemade potato gnocchi and a simple bitter-leaf salad.
Recipe Notes
Prepare one day ahead for the cleanest slices and fullest flavor; refrigerate for four days.
Croatian Pasticada
Dalmatian beef braised in red wine, vegetables, prunes, and warm spices, served with potato gnocchi.
Equipment
- Large nonreactive bowl
- Large Dutch oven
- Blender or immersion blender
- Large pot
- Potato ricer
- Bench scraper
Ingredients
Marinated Beef
- 3 1/2 lb beef eye of round roast
- 4 oz pancetta cut into batons
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic halved
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 2 large yellow onions chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
Braise
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 8 whole pitted prunes
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Potato Gnocchi
- 2 lb russet potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for shaping
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 tsp fine salt
Instructions
Marinate:
- Pierce the roast at intervals and insert the pancetta and garlic. Put it in a nonreactive bowl with the wine, vinegar, carrots, onions, and celery. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning once.
- Lift out the beef, pat it dry, and strain the marinade, reserving both liquid and vegetables.
Braise:
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the roast on all sides. Remove it, then cook the reserved vegetables for 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.
- Return the beef and add reserved marinade, stock, prunes, bay, rosemary, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cover and braise at 325 F (165 C) for about 3 hours until sliceable and tender.
- Rest the beef. Discard bay and rosemary, blend the sauce smooth, and simmer until lightly thickened. Slice the beef across the grain and warm it gently in the sauce.
Make Gnocchi:
- Boil the potatoes whole until tender, peel while warm, and pass through a ricer. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Mix with the flour, egg, and salt just until a soft dough forms. Roll into ropes, cut irregular pieces, and mark lightly with a fork.
- Boil in salted water until the gnocchi float, then cook 1 minute more. Serve beside the sliced pasticada and sauce.
Notes
- Do not overwork gnocchi dough or it will become tough.
- Pasticada is traditionally made ahead; chill the roast in its sauce, slice cold, and reheat gently for clean slices.
Nutrition
Calories: 760kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 54gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 980mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12g