In a region famous for local cuisine heavily based on fish and seafood, pašticada might be an exception but many people still say that it’s the Holy Grail of Dalmatian cooking. So, if you’re a fan of Mediterranean cuisine and this sounds interesting, keep reading. In this post, we’ll share the traditional pašticada recipe and teach you everything there is to know about this delicious Croatian dish, including its origins, variation, serving, and more.
But first things first…
What Is Pašticada?
Pašticada is the Croatian version of pot roast with a Mediterranean touch. The dish consists of slowly-cooked beef prepared in a sweet and sour sauce alongside some vegetables is usually consumed alongside a plate of gnocchi or other kinds of homemade pasta. A couple of things that make pašticada special are red wine and parsley root.
Usually, locals use a dessert red wine like prošek (this is a straw wine made from dried grapes and should not be confused with Italian Prosecco) to this dish its unique flavor. The parsley root, on the other hand, gives the dish a pleasant smell and contributes to increasing the density and consistency of the sauce.
Are you a fan of Croatian cuisine? Then you should definitely check out our brudet stew recipe.
Origin & History
Unfortunately, there isn’t much information about the exact origin of pašticada except a few sources that link the creating of this dish to the city of Dubrovnik where pašticada was likely prepared for the first time somewhere around the 15th century. We also know that there are a few other similar dishes that were popular in Greece (although the Greek version is a tad spicier), Italy, and France during the Early Modern Era.
An alternative historic interpretation suggests that pašticada might originate from the passtisasda de caval, a dish that first appeared in the region of Verona during Roman times and later, became very popular in the Venetian Republic from where it spread to today’s coast of Croatia.
In the early days, this dish was made of horse meat (mostly from the dead horses after a battle) and was a lot more simple. Knowing this, it’s easy to conclude that the recipe evolved throughout the years. Another fact that confirms this theory is that pašticada today is prepared with tomatoes and eaten alongside potato gnocchi. Both of these are New World ingredients that were introduced to Europe in the last 300-400 years.
Today, the pašticada recipe is a crucial part of Croatian cuisine (even though variations are also present in some other Slavic cuisines too) and it’s also quite popular in Northern Italy and a few other Mediterranean countries. The dish is often prepared for special occasions like weddings, baptisms, birthdays, etc. (this was also the case in the past as well, possibly because of the lengthy preparation procedure).
Pašticada Variations
Firstly, even within Dalmatia, you’ll find different variations of the pašticada recipe. Every village has a slightly different way of preparing pašticada. Many people make small adjustments to the original recipe but the main battle is between people who use prošek (or other Croatian straw wines) and people who use regular red wine. Personally, I don’t think there’s a wrong and right choice. I’ve tried both and both variations were delicious.
Furthermore, as you may or may not know, Croatian cuisine has been heavily influenced by Italian and German cuisine throughout the years which is why you’ll find different variations of many local dishes in different parts of the country and the pašticada recipe is not an exception. For example, in Dalmatia and near the coast, people use sweet fruits to enhance the flavor of the pašticada which usually indicates Roman/Byzantine influence. In the central and northern parts of the country though, some people also use vinegar upon serving (even though this is a rare occurrence) which gives the dish a flavor that’s more similar to German sauerbraten (sour roast).
Moreover, there are also similar variations of the pašticada recipe in other European countries too. In Greece, they call this dish pastitsada and it’s very similar to the Croatian pašticada. We already mentioned pastissada de caval which is a delicacy in parts of Northern Italy but there are two more similar dishes that come to mind. The first one is daube provencale, a traditional beef stew from Southern France, and Hungarian goulash which even though is an entirely different dish, slightly resembles pašticada.
It can be argued that most of the variations mentioned here precede the Dalmatian pašticada but at the end of the day, the origin of the dish is not a big deal. The most important thing is that pašticada is a crucial part of Dalmatian cuisine today.
Serving & Storing
Pašticada is usually served with potato gnocchi or another kind of pasta with shredded parmesan cheese and a glass of fine red wine. Also, even though it’s not very common, some people enjoy eating pašticada with bread instead of pasta. The most common choices in these situations are olive oil bread and occasionally, kifli. Other Croatian and Balkan dishes like sarma or ajvar can also be served either on the side or as an appetizer.
As for storing, pašticada can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days but in my opinion, the meat doesn’t taste as good when it’s not fresh which is why freezing your leftovers is probably not a good idea.
A Few Final Words
Before starting, you should know that preparing this dish can take up to three days because you need to give the meat enough time to marinate properly and then to slowly braise for at least 5-6 hours. Once that is done, you also have to blend the vegetables to make a thick sauce. So, if you need a quick surprise dinner and don’t have enough time to do all of this, it’s probably a good idea to prepare the pašticada recipe some other time.
A Few Things You May Need
Dutch Oven
Frying Pan
Set Of Kitchen Knives
Did you ever try pašticada? How did you like our recipe? If you tried to make it at home, don’t forget to leave us a review, and if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments below!
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