Nitko’s False “pasticada”

Pasticada is one of the greatest Dalmatian meat meals. Unfortunately, to prepare it you have to plan it a week in advance, find nice piece of beef (rib eye) up to 2kg, marinate it, and cook it 2 to 3 hours. And there are always guests invited, so they eat it more than you wanted them to eat. Since I like the taste of pasticada, and don’t have all that time, I decided to make it quick with not much ado about it. So this is how it goes:

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 portions

Ingredients

• 500  g beef (muscles for goulash)
• 300  g onions
• 3  garlic cloves
• 50  g carrots
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 200  ml wine (red, syrah type)
• 200  g tomatoes (strained juice)
• 5  cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg (grounded)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon marjoram (dried)
• 1  bay leaf
• 1⁄3 teaspoon thyme (dried)
• 5  g plums (dried optional)
• 5  g raisins (optional)
• 10  g sugar (brown) (optional)
• 250  ml water
• 7  g salt
• 5  g pepper
• 5  g parsley (fresh)
• 50  g parmesan cheese (grated)

Directions

1. Cut beef into very small cubes, approximately 1cm in diameter.
2. Finely mince onion and garlic.
3. Cut the carrots into very, very small cubes.
4. Sauté the onion in olive oil.
5. When onions become yellowish, add beef and carrots.
6. Sauté until meat loses liquid; add garlic and wine.
7. Make stronger heat.
8. Before adding plums, cut them into thin strips. If you don’t have plums, you may add raisins.
9. When alcohol evaporates, add tomato and all spices: salt, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, thyme, marjoram, bay leaf and plums.
10. Add some more water and cook about 40 minutes on low heat.
11. It may be too sour (if the tomato is not from your garden) so you may add some sugar (depends on your taste).
12. The sauce must reduce to almost half.
13. Sprinkle with chopped parsley leaves at the end.
14. It is best to serve with potato gnocchi sprinkled with grated Parmesan, but you may use any kind of pasta or rice.