This is one of those dishes that is not prepared often because it requires several hours of preparation, but on special occasions it is definitely worth it because of its divine taste. Today I bring you a recipe for Dalmatian pasticada (beef stew), an autochthonous Dalmatian dish. There are many variations of this recipe because in other parts of Dalmatia they make it in a slightly different way. Feel free to find the one you like. My grandfather used to prepare pasticada this way.
DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM
PREPARATION TIME: 3½ -4 hours
SERVINGS: 5 – 6 persons
INGREDIENTS FOR PASTICADA:
- 2 kg of beef leg (a piece of meat is beef leg, the part called fricando)
- 3 larger red onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 piece of celery
- 50 g of pancetta
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 2 teaspoons of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate
- about 1/5 l of wine vinegar
- 1 dcl red wine or prosecco
- beef stock or water
- pork fat
- salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 prunes (soaked in water for about 10 minutes)
INGREDIENTS FOR GNOCCHI:
- 4 large potatoes (red), 600-700 g
- smooth white flour as needed (approximately 150 g)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt
PREPARATION (PASTICADA):
1. Cut 1 carrot into sticks of about 2 cm, cut the pancetta into thin strips and the garlic lengthwise into thicker strips.
2. Pierce the meat lengthwise with a knife and push a piece of garlic, a piece of carrot that you previously rolled in nutmeg, and a piece of pancetta into each. Let it be filled evenly so that when you cut it into slices, you can see the filling nicely distributed.
3. Put the meat in a pot, cover with vinegar and add water to cover the meat. Vinegar 2/3, and water 1/3.
4. Let it stand overnight, and in the meantime turn the meat 2-3 times.
5. Put 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot, remove the meat from the rat, wipe it well with a paper towel and add salt. Let it brown on all sides to close the pores. Take it out and cover with foil.
6. In the same pot, add a little more fat and sauté finely chopped onion and celery, add bay leaf and cloves.
7. Let it simmer until the vegetables are completely wilted. When the vegetables are wilted (not burnt), add the meat to the vegetables and immediately pour wine and a spoonful of tomato concentrate dissolved in a little water.
8. Let it simmer until the alcohol evaporates, then add about 2 dcl of water and more salt and let it simmer, covered, over low heat.
9. It is cooked for the next 3 hours, covered, on very low heat. Occasionally pour water and a little liquid from the stock (make sure it is not acidic). I taste during cooking at least 15 times, add salt, more nutmeg if necessary, a little water and then a little bit of salt.
10. Try after 3 hours if the meat is soft. If it is, take it out on a cutting board and cut it into finger-thick slices.
11.Vegetables from the juice in the pot, mix everything with a stick mixer except bay leaves and cloves..
12.Return the meat slices to the juice. If the juice is too thick, add more water. This is the last chance to refine the taste and density of the juice. Taste, if necessary, another 20 times until the flavors and density are uniform. Add the plums from the water to the juice and let it cook, covered, for another 30 minutes. The sauce must be thick, sour-sweet, with an impeccably balanced taste, let someone near you taste if you have lost your sense of taste from tasting too much. Do not take the cooking time strictly, sometimes the meat is cooked a little longer or shorter, depending on the quality and position of the meat.
13. Serve with homemade gnocchi.
PREPARATION FOR GNOCCHI:
- 1. Cook the potatoes with the skin on for an hour or less (test with a fork to see if they are done).
- 2. Peel them and mash or mash with a fork while they are still warm.
- 3. Put them in a bowl, add salt, add buttermilk and egg and mash well with your fingers so that everything is well combined.
- 4. Pour in the flour until you get a soft ball that you can hold without it sticking to your fingers.
- 5. Do not pour in all the flour immediately, you can easily add it later.
- 6. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and gently knead and form a ball.
- 7. Divide it into 4 parts and roll each into a thin roll…
Enjoy!
Foodster 