Pašticada from Croatia

Marinate the Beef

1. Make deep slices all over the meat. Alternate inserting slices of celery root, carrots, and bacon throughout.

2. Brush meat with mustard and place it in a large bowl.

3. Add onion chunks, garlic, 2 more carrots, rosemary, prunes, thyme, bay leaf, cloves and black peppercorns to the bowl. Season with salt.

4. Cover meat with red wine vinegar and 1 cup of water.

5. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight or for many hours, turning once if possible.

Prepare Beef for Stewing

1. Remove the meat from bowl and strain liquid. Reserve the solids.

2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or big pot over medium high heat. Sear and brown meat on all sides.

3. Remove meat and set aside.

4. Add solids from the marinade to the pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 10-15 minutes.

5. Add meat back to the pot along with red wine, Prošek, and nutmeg. Add enough water to cover the meat halfway up the side, but no more than that.

6. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for about an hour.

7. After an hour, add the tomato paste and stir it into the liquid. Add more water or wine if necessary. Try to keep the liquid to about halfway up the side of the meat.

8. Simmer for another hour or so.

9. Remove the meat, let it rest for about 10 minutes or so before slicing.

Make Sauce

1. Remove bay leaves.

2. Add vegetables to a blender or food processor. Purée until it becomes a rich sauce consistency.

3. Season with salt and pepper and add more red wine or sugar to ensure a nice sweet/sour balance.

4. Top sliced meat with sauce and parsley. Serve with gnocchi.