Pašticada is a braised beef dish cooked in a fragrant

sweet and sour Sweet and sour is a generic term that encompasses many styles of sauce, cuisine and cooking methods. It is commonly used in East Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been used in England since the Middle Ages. Dickson Wright, Clarissa (2011) ''A Histor ...

sauce, popular in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. It is often called ''Dalmatinska pašticada'' because it originates in Dalmatia, where it is served at festivities and gatherings. The meal requires long and meticulous preparation. The meat, usually a whole eye of round, is pierced and stuffed with garlic, cloves, carrot and bacon, and marinated in wine vinegar overnight. It is then

seared Searing (or pan searing) is a technique used in grilling, baking, braising, roasting, sautéing, etc., in which the surface of the food (usually meat such as beef, poultry, pork, seafood) is cooked at high temperature until a browned crust forms ...

and

simmered Simmering is a food preparation technique by which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept just below the boiling point of water (lower than ) and above poaching temperature (higher than ). To create a steady simmer, a liquid is brought to a boil, ...

with onions, parsley root, prunes, wine and sweet

prošek Prošek is a sweet dessert wine that is traditionally from the southern area of Dalmatia, Croatia. It is made using dried wine grapes in the passito method. Good quality Prošek is usually much more expensive by volume than other wines due to a ...

wine for several hours. The meat is cut into thick slices and additionally cooked in the resulting sauce. Pašticada is usually served with

gnocchi Gnocchi ( , , ; singular ''gnocco'') are a varied family of dumpling in Italian cuisine. They are made of small lumps of dough most traditionally composed of a simple combination of wheat flour, egg, salt, and potato. Variations of the dish sup ...

or homemade pasta.

History

The origins of pašticada are not entirely known. The oldest recorded recipe is from

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...

, dating from the fifteenth century.

References

Croatian cuisine Beef dishes {{Meat-stub