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Authentic Dalmatinska Pašticada Recipe
Split, Croatia
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Dalmatinska pašticada is a beef stew with Venetian, Greek, and Byzantine origins and is typically prepared for festive occasions such as holidays, weddings, and christenings. The preparation is lengthy, mainly due to the long marination time, but simple. The first phase of preparation is marinating the beef in wine vinegar overnight. The second phase is sautéing the root vegetables and searing the meat, then cooking it in prošek or sweetened red wine along with spices with the addition of water and stock. The final phase is slicing the meat, putting it back into the sauce, and cooking it until tender. The finished pašticada is traditionally served with gnocchi and paired with red wine.
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Cooking tips
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the meat
Beef is the traditional choice, but nowadays, veal is more commonly used due to the lack of availability of beef in meat shops. The cut used is the local frikando, the toughest part of the round, which has very little fat and marbling and benefits from long braising. The equivalent US cuts would be rump and top round, even bottom round, while the equivalent UK cuts are silverside and topside. -
marinating
The meat should be marinated in wine vinegar, preferably overnight, but the longer, the better. The vinegar and the meat should be placed in a porcelain or plastic container, but never in a metallic one which might corrode from the vinegar. Also, turn the meat a few times so that all the sides of the meat marinate equally. If you do not have the time to turn the meat (for example, the meat is marinating ... Read more -
the sauce
The sauce should be chocolate brown, which is mainly the result of browning the meat and caramelizing the onions. Some recipes call for carrots which is supposedly a big no because its use results in a lighter-colored sauce. If, for any reason, the sauce is not dark enough, fry breadcrumbs in lard and mix them with tomato paste, then add that to the sauce about 30 minutes before the end of cooking.... Read more -
method
The meat needs to be seared in lard until all of the liquid is released, and the surface is browned and crusted. The meat is then removed, and the root vegetables are added and sautéed until the onions are caramelized. The meat is then returned to the pot, poured over with prošek or sweetened red wine, and cooked for 3-4 hours, all the while adding stock or water, so the meat doesn’t dry out. Near ... Read more -
variations
Some recipes also call for carrots, parsley, prunes, and figs. Some are made with chicken or tuna instead of beef. Some call for bay leaf, rosemary, and lemon rind. And some even call for jam which sweetens and thickens the sauce if it’s too sour.
Dalmatinska Pašticada
PREP 50min
COOK 5h 20min
RESTING 12h
READY IN 18h 10min
This recipe shows the traditional preparation of Dalmatinska pašticada. It is adapted from the iconic cookbook Dalmatinska Kuhinja by Dika Marjanović-Radica, the famous cookbook author from the 20th century responsible for collecting and preserving thousands of traditional Dalmatian recipes.
Ingredients
750g (1 2/3 lbs) beef (frikando traditionally, or US rump or top round, or UK silverside or topside)
a few cloves
4 garlic cloves, cleaned and cut into thick pieces lengthwise
bacon, cut into thick sticks
about 1/2 L (2 cups) wine vinegar
1 large onion, finely chopped or grated
100g (3.5 oz) lard
celery root, a small piece, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 - 1/2 tsp nutmeg, grated
120 ml (1/2 cup) prošek or red wine + 2 sugar cubes (to sweeten the red wine)
1 tsp tomato paste
stock or water, as needed
TO DARKEN AND THICKEN THE SAUCE (if needed)
1 tsp breadcrumbs + 1 tsp tomato paste + a bit of lard
Preparation
Step 1/9
Wash the beef, drain, and pat it dry.
Step 2/9
Make deep slits in the meat and insert cloves, pieces of garlic, and sticks of bacon in each.
Step 3/9
Pour a generous amount of wine vinegar into a large ceramic or plastic bowl (don’t use a metallic one!). Then, place the meat in the vinegar. Let the meat marinate in the vinegar overnight. Turn the meat from time to time so it gets marinated equally. If you can't be bothered with turning the meat, besides vinegar, also add enough water to the bowl so the meat is completely submerged.
Step 4/9
The following day, add the meat and the lard to a large pot and sear the meat over medium-high heat. Once the entire surface is browned and the meat doesn't release any liquid, take the meat out of the pot.
Step 5/9
Then, add the root vegetables and the spices to the same pot you were searing the meat in and sauté them until the onion is caramelized.
Step 6/9
Now, dissolve the tomato paste in prošek and pour that liquid into the pot with the meat. Once boiling, add water or stock so the meat is halfway covered, and cook over low heat for 3-4 hours until tender (turn the meat every 30 minutes). Add more stock or water as needed.
Step 7/9
When done, slice the meat, then place the slices into the sauce in the pot and cook for another 30 minutes.
Step 8/9
If the sauce is not thick and dark enough, separately sauté the breadcrumbs in a little bit of fat, then add a teaspoon of tomato paste. Add the mixture to the sauce and the meat near the end of cooking.
Step 9/9
Serve with gnocchi, macaroni, or potato phyllo pie.
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