If you want to try an authentic Dalmatian Croatian dish, you must try the pašticada recipe. This hearty beef stew is cooked with a unique and special sauce that will make your taste buds dance with joy. Here’s how to make it.
Ingredients:
- 2 kg (4.4 lbs) beef, top round (you can also use topside, silverside, or rump). Choose the back end of the cow for best results.
- 20 g smoked/dried bacon (0.7 oz)
- 200 g onions (7 oz)
- 150 g parsley root (5.3 oz)
- 150 g carrot (5.3 oz)
- 50 g celery root (1.8 oz)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 20 g tomato paste (0.7 oz)
- 200 ml cooking oil or olive oil (1 cup)
- Apple cider
- 10 g cloves (0.35 oz)
- 10 dried plums, diced
- 6 dried figs
- 2 apples, peeled and quartered
- 300 ml red wine (1 1/4 cups)
- 2 Tbls. mustard
- 3 bay leaves
- Small bunch of thyme
- Rosemary leaves
- Cooking chocolate (75% cocoa)
- Salt
- Pepper
Gnocchi
- 2 L of milk (8.5 cups)
- 1,200 g flour (type 550) (9.5 cups)
- 60 g butter (4 Tbls.) cut into small cubes
- 20 g of ground nutmeg (0.71 ounces)
- Pinch of salt
- A few drops of olive oil
Instructions:
Pašticada
- Wash and wipe the meat and then insert the pieces of bacon into it using a knife. Salt as desired, spread mustard over the meat and place it in the “pajc” (a container with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and oil enough to cover the meat). Let it marinate like this for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight).
- Brown the meat in hot oil on all sides. Remove it from the pan and quickly sauté the chopped onion, garlic, and vegetables.
- Return the meat to the pan along with the red wine and simmer covered for about 2 hours. If required, add small amounts of red wine mixed with water and a touch of sugar (Dalmatian prošek works great as a replacement for this) as the meat cooks – it needs to be tender.
- When the meat is tender, add tomato concentrate, diced prunes, and figs along with the apple quarters.
- At the end of the cooking, stir in the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme & minced cloves. Add pepper and a little salt, try it and, if necessary, add a little bit of cooking chocolate. Balance the flavor with a bit of red wine and plums to get a sweet and sour taste to your liking.
- Remove the meat, cut it into slices, and place it on a heated plate.
- Purée the vegetables with roast the drippings and pour it over the meat.
- Serve with gnocchi and a slice of lemon.
Gnocchi
- Pour milk into a medium-sized container and let it boil.
- Add the nutmeg, salt, butter, and olive oil.
- When the milk boils, remove it from the heat and gently mix with a wooden spoon, add flour.
- When you add all the flour, mix it well enough so that it all merges into a single substance similar to dough. After you achieve that, leave it for 3-4 hours to cool completely.
- Remove the dough, divide it into two or three parts, shape each of them into a roll, and cut them into identically sized pieces.
- Cook the gnocchi in boiling water for 12 minutes and serve as a side dish to pašticada.
Conclusion:
Pašticada is a delicious and hearty beef stew that is perfect for a family meal or a special occasion. The unique combination of ingredients and spices creates a complex and flavorful sauce that pairs perfectly with the tender meat. Don’t forget to serve it with homemade gnocchi to complete the dish. Give this pašticada recipe a try and experience the taste of Dalmatian Croatian cuisine.
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