History

Pasticada's roots are Venetian, with Dalmatia's coastal cooking absorbing the agrodolce direction of braised beef during the Republic's rule of Split from 1420 to 1797. The oldest written recipe dates to the 15th century in Dubrovnik. The dish is still cooked across an arc from Trogir through Split and onto Hvar and Brac, with each konoba claiming a slightly different prosek-to-vinegar ratio. In Split it is the canonical Sunday-lunch order at Konoba Varos, Konoba Fetivi and Apetit.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg top round beef, in one piece
  • 100g Dalmatian prsut, cut in matchsticks
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • 300ml red wine (Plavac mali if you can)
  • 150ml red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 200ml prosek (or sweet dessert wine)
  • 150g pitted prunes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf, sea salt, black pepper
  • Homemade potato gnocchi to serve

Method

  1. Pierce the beef and stud it with garlic halves and prsut matchsticks. Salt and pepper.
  2. Marinate the beef in red wine, vinegar and a bay leaf for 12 hours in the fridge, turning twice.
  3. Drain the beef (reserve marinade). Brown all sides in olive oil in a heavy braiser.
  4. Add onions and carrots; soften 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes.
  5. Add reserved marinade, prosek and prunes. Simmer covered on very low heat 4 hours, turning every 45 minutes.
  6. Lift the meat, rest 10 minutes. Reduce the braise to gravy consistency; pass through a sieve.
  7. Slice the beef across the grain; spoon the gravy over. Serve with hot gnocchi.

Tip from the editors. If you cannot get prosek, use a tablespoon of dark brown sugar and a glass of dessert wine in its place.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat pasticada

Pasticada in Split

Konoba Varos ★ 4.2

veli-varos

Konoba Varos in Split's Veli Varos serves a sturdy konoba lunch with pasticada and grilled fish keeping most plates between €12 and €22.

Try: Pasticada and grilled fish konoba lunch

Order: Pasticada with gnocchi (marenda special when on).

Tip: The marenda lunch board (mid-morning, 10:00 to 12:00) is the cheapest sitting.

Ban Mladenova 9, 21000 Split, Croatia

Konoba Fetivi ★ 4.6

Dalmatian€€veli-varos

Konoba Fetivi in Split's Veli Varos is the Bib Gourmand family konoba on Tomica Stine, cooking grilled Adriatic fish and pasticada to a daily Pazar buy.

Signature: Grilled Adriatic fish, Pasticada with gnocchi, Crni rizot

Order: Whole grilled white fish by weight with chard and potatoes.

Tip: Tue-Sun 15:00 to 23:30, closed Mondays; book ahead for the early dinner sitting and the best whole fish go by 21:00.

Tomica Stine 4, 21000 Split, Croatia

Apetit ★ 4.3

€45-70diocletians-palaceBook 1 week ahead

Apetit in Split's Old Town sits on the upper floor of a 15th-century palazzo between the Riva and Pjaca, cooking Dalmatian classics under stone vaulting.

Order: Pasticada slow-braised in prosek with homemade gnocchi.

Tip: Climb the stone stairs to the second floor; the small dining room takes only around 30 covers.

Ul. Pavla Subica 2, 21000 Split, Croatia Book →

Konoba Marjan ★ 4.2

Dalmatian€€veli-varos

Konoba Marjan at the foot of the Marjan trail in Split serves classic Dalmatian dishes from a tiny kitchen in a centuries-old Veli Varos stone house.

Signature: Pasticada, Soparnik, Grilled fish platter

Order: Pasticada with gnocchi.

Tip: Cash and card both accepted; small terrace, book ahead in peak season.

Senjska ul. 1, 21000 Split, Croatia

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