Pašticada - Dalmatian Beef Roast

Easter Time: Good Food is a Must

We recommend Pašticada, the Dalmatian beef roast. The Easter festival is a wonderful occasion for a few wonderful days with family and friends. As every year, we are already looking forward to the Easter Bunny and the traditional Easter meal. No matter how you spend Easter and what you plan to do for Easter, maybe you are already spending a few great days by the sea sailing. At Easter, we also want to indulge and enjoy.

What's on the Easter Table This Year?

To the question: "What's on the Easter table this year", we have the following recipe "Pašticada - Dalmatian Beef Roast" as the perfect answer for you.

Would You Like an Easter Roast on the Holidays?

Pašticada, the traditional Dalmatian beef roast, is a typical Croatian recipe and one of the most famous dishes of Dalmatia. It is mainly served on festive occasions. Pašticada comes in numerous variations, depending on taste, gnocchi or ribbon noodles are served as a side dish.

Klaus Pitter reveals his very own version of Pašticada here and tells you how he likes to prepare this braised beef roast.

What Ingredients Do I Need for Pašticada?

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 1 1/2 kg beef roast
• 150 g bacon in one piece
• 3 large carrots, cut into larger sticks
• 1/2 celery, also cut into sticks
• 1 parsley root
• 6 whole garlic cloves
• Coarse Dijon mustard for spreading on the meat
• 2 large onions
• Leek (only the white part), finely chopped, if desired
• 2 bay leaves, 1-2 sprigs of rosemary and thyme
• 4 cloves
• 250 ml red wine
• 3 tbsp red balsamic vinegar
• 8 dried plums
• 2 beef tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 250 ml beef broth for pouring
• 250 ml water for pouring
• Salt and pepper
• 6 olives, quartered
• Olive oil for frying

With good preparation the day before, there is no stress at the Easter festival. The roast simmers deliciously on the stove and only needs to be turned a few times.

How is the Braised Beef Roast Pašticada Prepared?

Pašticada requires careful preparation the day before, as the meat should marinate overnight. 

Step 1: First, peel the carrots and celery and cut them into larger sticks about 1 cm thick. Also cut the bacon into strips of the same thickness. Then take the beef and leave it whole.

Step 2: Use a sharp thin knife to pierce holes from front to back in the meat and stuff with the carrot and celery sticks. Thread the bacon from top to bottom and also press the garlic cloves into the meat. Cut off the protruding ends and place them in a large bowl for the marinade. Dice the remaining carrots, celery, parsley root, onions, and leek and add them to the bowl as well.

 Step 3: Now salt and pepper the meat and spread with mustard, then place in the bowl with the vegetables and pour in red wine, balsamic vinegar, and water. Add the cloves, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme, as well as the dried plums. The marinade is now ready, so the meat can marinate well overnight.   

Step 4: The next day, about 2 to 3 hours before eating, depending on the size of the roast, remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Also separate the marinade from the vegetables, remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs, and the cloves. Add olive oil to a large roasting pot and sear the meat on all sides.

Step 5: Remove the meat again and cover with aluminum foil and let it rest. Meanwhile, fry the vegetables in the pot. Then deglaze with the marinade and add the meat back in. Now pour in beef broth and water (depending on the desired seasoning) up to halfway. The meat should always be covered with liquid up to halfway. If you want more juice, you can of course use more liquid.

Step 6: Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Let the whole thing simmer gently for about 2 to 3 hours, turning the roast every hour.

Step 7: Finally, remove the meat again and remove the bay leaves. Also take out some vegetables from the pot and set aside, puree the rest with a hand blender. Then add the chopped olives to the sauce and season again with salt and pepper.

Now cut the meat into pieces and return it to the pot along with the reserved small vegetable pieces, layer and serve.