Pasticada

Name: Pasticada
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.2 kg beef rump or topside, in one piece; 100 g pork fat back or pancetta, cut into 5 mm × 5 cm strips for larding; 2 medium carrots (about 200 g): 1 cut into matchsticks for larding, 1 finely diced for the sauce; 10 whole cloves (5 for larding, 5 for the marinade) + 0.5 tsp ground cloves for the sauce; 6 garlic cloves, peeled — 3 crushed for the marinade, 3 finely chopped for the sauce; 200 ml white wine vinegar + 200 ml cold water + 3 bay leaves + 1 tsp black peppercorns + 4 juniper berries (for the marinade); 2 large onions (about 400 g), finely diced; 200 g pitted prunes (dried plums); 100 ml prošek dessert wine (or sweet Marsala or 1 tbsp brown sugar + 80 ml port); 500 ml dry red wine (Plavac Mali, Merlot, or any robust dry red); 300 ml unsalted beef stock; 2 tbsp tomato paste + 200 g canned chopped tomatoes; 1 tsp ground cinnamon + 0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 50 g lard (or 3 tbsp olive oil), for browning; 1.5 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper, for finishing; Fresh parsley, finely chopped, to garnish; Gnocchi or fresh pasta (about 500 g), to serve

Pašticada is Dalmatia's emblematic dish — a beef roll marinated for days in wine vinegar, garlic, and spices, larded with pork fat, carrot, and cloves, then braised for hours in red wine, dried plum juice, and an unusually complex spice mix for European cuisine: cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg. The result is extremely tender meat with a sweet-sour, dark, thick sauce of irreducible complexity. Served with gnocchi or homemade pasta. It is the obligatory dish at Dalmatian weddings and baptisms and appears at Easter tables. Traditional preparation takes two days: marinate today, cook tomorrow. Every family in Dalmatia has its own version passed down through generations.

Total time3h 30m

Active time30m

Servings4

DifficultyMedium

Cost$$

Add to my meal plan

❤️

Rich in protein

Filling and nutritious

❄️

Can be frozen

Great for meal prep

🕐

Slow simmered

Low and slow cooking

⭐

Traditional recipe

Authentic taste

Ingredients 4 servings

1.2 kg beef rump or topside, in one piece
100 g pork fat back or pancetta, cut into 5 mm × 5 cm strips for larding
2 medium carrots (about 200 g): 1 cut into matchsticks for larding, 1 finely diced for the sauce
10 whole cloves (5 for larding, 5 for the marinade) + 0.5 tsp ground cloves for the sauce
6 garlic cloves, peeled — 3 crushed for the marinade, 3 finely chopped for the sauce
200 ml white wine vinegar + 200 ml cold water + 3 bay leaves + 1 tsp black peppercorns + 4 juniper berries (for the marinade)
2 large onions (about 400 g), finely diced
200 g pitted prunes (dried plums)
100 ml prošek dessert wine (or sweet Marsala or 1 tbsp brown sugar + 80 ml port)
500 ml dry red wine (Plavac Mali, Merlot, or any robust dry red)
300 ml unsalted beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste + 200 g canned chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground cinnamon + 0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50 g lard (or 3 tbsp olive oil), for browning
1.5 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper, for finishing
Fresh parsley, finely chopped, to garnish
Gnocchi or fresh pasta (about 500 g), to serve

How to make it

1Day 1, lard the beef; using a sharp paring knife, make 16 deep slits across the surface of the beef joint; slide a strip of pork fat, a carrot matchstick, and (in alternate slits) half of a whole clove into each slit; the fat will baste the meat from the inside, the carrot will sweeten the sauce, and the cloves perfume the meat.
2Make the marinade; in a non-reactive bowl just large enough to hold the beef, combine 200 ml wine vinegar, 200 ml cold water, the 3 crushed marinade garlic cloves, 3 bay leaves, peppercorns, juniper berries, and the remaining 5 whole cloves; submerge the beef, cover, and refrigerate 24 hours (up to 48 hours), turning twice.
3Day 2, lift the beef out, scrape off any clinging spices, and pat thoroughly dry — wet meat will not brown; discard the marinade; season the meat with 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp pepper.
4Heat the lard in a heavy Dutch oven or braiser (28 cm) over medium-high heat; sear the beef on all sides for 3–4 minutes per side, about 12–15 minutes total, until evenly mahogany brown all over; lift onto a plate.
5Reduce the heat to medium; add the diced onion and a pinch of salt to the rendered fat and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until deeply golden brown — this slow caramelisation builds the sauce; add the diced carrot and chopped garlic and cook for another 3–4 minutes; stir in the tomato paste, ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toast for 1 minute.
6Pour in the prošek and stir for 1 minute, scraping the base; add the red wine, raise the heat, and reduce by half (about 6–8 minutes); add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, prunes, and the remaining 0.5 tsp salt; return the beef to the pot, settling it into the liquid — the sauce should come about three-quarters of the way up the meat.
7Cover with a tight lid and braise on the lowest hob heat (or in a 150°C oven) for 2 h 30 m – 3 h, turning the beef every 45 minutes, until a knife slides into the centre with no resistance; lift the beef onto a board and rest, tented with foil, for 15 minutes.
8Finish the sauce; lift out the prunes and reserve a handful for garnish; blend the rest with the sauce using a stick blender to a thick, glossy gravy (or push through a sieve for a finer finish); reduce uncovered for 5–8 minutes if it needs thickening — it should coat the back of a spoon and taste deeply sweet-sour-spiced; slice the rested beef across the grain into 1 cm slices, fan over warm gnocchi or fresh pasta, spoon the sauce generously, scatter with reserved prunes and chopped parsley, and serve immediately.