About this Dish
Beef slow-braised in wine and prunes, a Dalmatian Sunday specialty.
History & Origin
A prized dish of the Dalmatian coast, pasticada requires marinating the beef for days before a long braise — traditionally reserved for weddings and special occasions.
IngredientsServes 3
🥩Beef rump or topside, 1.5kg as a whole piece
🧄Garlic, 6 cloves, sliced into slivers
🥓Smoked bacon or pancetta, 100g cut into small lardons
🍷Dry red wine, 500ml (a good Dalmatian Plavac Mali or similar)
🍊Red wine vinegar, 100ml
🫐Pitted prunes, 150g
🧅White onions, 2 large, roughly chopped
🥕Carrots, 2 medium, roughly chopped
🍅Tomato paste, 2 tablespoons
🫒Olive oil, 3 tablespoons, plus salt and pepper to season
Method
1
The day before cooking, use a sharp knife to pierce the beef all over and stud it with garlic slivers and bacon lardons pushed deep into the holes. Place the beef in a bowl, pour over the red wine vinegar and half the red wine, cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate, turning once if you remember.2
Remove the beef from the marinade (reserve the liquid) and pat it dry with paper towels. Season generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat and sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 10 minutes total. Remove and set aside.3
In the same pot over medium heat, fry the onions and carrots until softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes until it darkens slightly.4
Return the beef to the pot and pour in the reserved marinade and the remaining red wine — the liquid should come about halfway up the meat. Add the prunes, bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover tightly and braise for 3 to 3.5 hours, turning the meat every hour, until it is completely tender and falling apart.5
Lift the beef out onto a board and let it rest while you finish the sauce. Use a hand blender or transfer the braising liquid and vegetables to a blender and blitz everything until you have a smooth, glossy, deep-purple sauce. Return it to the pot, taste and adjust seasoning, and simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes if it needs thickening.6
Slice the beef thickly or pull it apart with two forks and arrange on a warm serving platter. Spoon the sauce generously over the top. Pasticada is traditionally served with homemade gnocchi (njoki) to soak up all that wonderful sauce.7
Slice the beef thickly and serve it bathed in plenty of the rich sauce alongside homemade gnocchi or pljukanci pasta — this is traditional Dalmatian Sunday table food, best enjoyed with family and more red wine.User Reviews
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