Dalmatinska Pašticada

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lb beef eye of round roast
• 4 cloves garlic, cut in slivers
• 2 oz pancetta, cut in thin strips
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 small celery root, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1/2 cup prosek or ruby port
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes
• 4 whole cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 lb potato gnocchi for serving

Method

1. Cut small slits all over the beef, push in the garlic and pancetta, then marinate it in the vinegar and water in the fridge overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 325°F. Drain and dry the beef, season with the salt and brown it all over in the oil in a Dutch oven, then set it aside.
3. Cook the onions, carrots and celery root in the same pot until golden, about 15 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste for 2 minutes.
4. Add the red wine, prosek, prunes, cloves, nutmeg, bay leaves and stock, return the beef, cover and braise in the oven until fork-tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning it once. It passes the safe 145°F early; tenderness takes much longer.
5. Rest the beef at least 10 minutes while you remove the bay leaves and cloves and blend the vegetables and liquid into a smooth, glossy sauce. Season to taste.
6. Boil the gnocchi, slice the beef thickly and serve both in the sauce.

Notes