Dalmatinska pašticada is a traditional Dalmatian dish consisting of beef (the traditional cut used being frikando, the toughest part of beef round) that is marinated in vinegar and spices for up to a couple of days, after which it’s stewed in red wine or prošek with bacon, tomatoes, a few dried prunes or figs, and root vegetables.

Once cooked, the sauce is puréed and additionally seasoned with a selection of various spices. Traditionally, the dish is served at weddings with a side of gnocchi or homemade pasta. It is recommended to serve pašticada with some grated cheese on top. 

Janjetina ispod peke is a traditional lamb specialty that calls for preparing the meat under a metal, bell-like dome or lid called peka in Dalmatia or čripnja in Istria. The meat is usually combined with potatoes and vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, carrots, and zucchinis, and the whole thing is then commonly drizzled with olive oil.

White wine or beer may occasionally be added to the concoction to speed up the cooking process, while the dish is often flavored with aromatic herbs and spices such as rosemary, bay leaves, mint, paprika, and black pepper. Traditionally, the baking tray or pot containing the food is topped with the peka lid, placed in a fireplace, and the lid is then covered with hot embers on top. 

Janjetina s ražnja is a popular Dalmatian dish made by roasting a whole lamb on a spit. It is roasted over an open fire until the skin becomes crispy and golden-brown in color. Before roasting, the lamb can be marinated in oil with fresh herbs, but it is traditionally seasoned only with sea salt.

When the lamb is properly roasted, it is usually served with sliced onions, green onions, or young potatoes, and a few slices of bread.

It takes about 10 to 12 hours to make this magnificent risotto that is traditionally prepared by men. Skradinski rižot is made with veal rump, a bit of ham, some beef, onions, a bouillon of capon, rooster, or beef, and rice. Some recipes incorporate prosciutto pieces for extra flavor.

The risotto is usually seasoned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and the whole thing is finished off with some grated cheese, preferably Paški sir from the nearby island called Pag. Due to its long cooking time, it often has to be ordered a few days in advance. 

Teletina ispod peke is a traditional dish that’s made with meat cooked under the lid (called peka in Croatian). It’s usually made with veal, potatoes, onions, carrots, bell peppers, oil, bay leaves, rosemary, and seasonings. The vegetables are cut into chunks that are placed over the veal.

The combination is then covered with a big and round metal lid and cooked for about 2 hours until the meat and the vegetables are tender and fully cooked. The dish is traditionally served with kruh ispod peke (bread baked under the lid) and fresh seasonal salads on the side.

Arambaši is a variety of sarma and a traditional dish from the Croatian city of Sinj. It consists of a combination of diced beef, onions, garlic, pork belly, and parsley. The combination is typically flavored with pepper, salt, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and grated lemon zest.

This mixture is then wrapped in sour cabbage leaves and placed in a pot. Before cooking, arambaši are topped with chopped sour cabbage, beef bones, tomato juice, water, and various dried meat products. The name of the dish is derived from the Turkish words harami, meaning sinful or unacceptable, and başi, meaning commander or chief. 

Janjetina s bižima is a popular Dalmatian main dish using lamb and young peas as the star ingredients. Chopped lamb pieces are sautéed in oil and butter with onions, carrots, and garlic, and a bit later, parsley and tomato sauce is added to the pan.

The whole thing is simmered over low heat for about an hour before the young peas are added to the dish. This meal is usually seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary, and some cooks like to add a few boiled potatoes in order to thicken the dish. It is recommended to serve janjetina s bižima with a few slices of homemade black bread.

Polpete u šalši is a traditional ground meat dish originating from Dalmatia. Although there are several variations, the dish is usually made with a combination of ground meat (pork and beef), garlic, eggs, parsley, oil, tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil, white wine, and sugar.

The sauce is made with tomatoes, white wine, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The ground meat is mixed with eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley, and the mixture is shaped into patties that are fried in oil on both sides. In order to finish the dish, the patties are served with warm tomato sauce. 

Zec na hvarski is a traditional dish originating from the island of Hvar. The dish is made with a combination of rabbit, bay leaves, rosemary, celery, parsley, garlic, onions, salt, pepper, vinegar, cloves, oil, red wine, and prošek. The rabbit is marinated in a mixture of herbs, spices, vegetables, and vinegar for two days.

It is then dried and baked in the oven with the oil and the vegetables from the marinade. Once baked, the rabbit is cut into pieces and placed in a pan with sautéed onions. Red wine, prošek, salt, pepper, onions, cloves, bay leaves, and rosemary are added to the pan and the dish is simmered until the rabbit is tender.