🇭🇷 Croatian · 🏙️ Dalmatia

🍖 Dalmatian Pašticada (slow-braised beef with gnocchi)

6 servings · 260 min

Ingredients

• • Beef round (or other roasting cut) 3 to 4 lb
• • Garlic, sliced 5 cloves
• • Bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces 4 oz
• • Wine vinegar 4 cups
• • Olive oil ½ cup
• • Vegetable or beef broth 1 cup
• • Onions, quartered 3
• • Carrots, peeled and cut 2
• • Celery root, peeled and quartered 1
• • Parsley root, peeled and quartered 1
• • Flour 1 tablespoon
• • Whole cloves 4
• • Tomato paste 2 tablespoons
• • Bay leaf 1
• • Prošek (or sweet dessert wine) ½ cup
• • Sugar 1 tablespoon
• • Dry red wine ½ cup
• • Prunes 4
• • Gnocchi 1 lb
• • Parmesan cheese (optional) to serve
• • Parsley, chopped ½ bunch
• • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. 1 Pierce the meat all over with a knife and insert pieces of garlic, bacon, and the whole cloves inside.
2. 2 Place the beef in a dish, cover with the wine vinegar, and refrigerate overnight.
3. 3 Remove the meat from the vinegar; reserve the bacon and garlic.
4. 4 Dust the meat with flour and add it to a pot with the olive oil.
5. 5 Brown the meat on all sides, about 8-10 minutes, then set aside.
6. 6 In the same oil, briefly fry the onion, garlic, and bacon.
7. 7 Return the meat to the pot, add the broth, and cook 6-8 minutes.
8. 8 Add the tomato paste mixed with the sweet wine (prošek), then add the root vegetables, red wine, and sugar.
9. 9 Cover and simmer on low heat for about 3 hours until the meat is tender; halfway through, add the bay leaf and prunes.
10. 10 Remove the cooked meat and slice into thick pieces.
11. 11 Blend the remaining vegetables and sauce with a hand blender into a smooth sauce.
12. 12 Cook the gnocchi, plate them, top with the sliced beef and ladle over the sauce; garnish with parsley or Parmesan.