Dalmatian inspired pot roast beef

The flavours in this dish are reminiscent of the famed Dalmatian dish pašticada – pot roasted beef with lots of herbs and spices in a rich, red wine gravy. Served as hot beef rolls, this makes a fantastic shared plate. Nici Wickes’s great pot-roast. Delicious!

 

Ingredients (Serves: 6-8) 

  

1.5 kg bolar or topside beef

2 cups Selaks Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet

3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 onions, peeled and sliced

3 tomatoes, roughly chopped

8 – 12 baby carrots

1 bay leaf

3 – 4 cloves

½ tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper

½ cup prunes, pitted

Bread rolls to serve

 

 

How to make Nici Wickes’ Dalmatian inspired pot roasted beef

 

1. In a large pot, marinate the beef in one piece for at least an hour (or overnight) in the wine and rosemary. Remove the beef, reserving and setting aside the marinade for the sauce/gravy.
2. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make small holes in the beef and insert garlic slices around the whole piece of meat.
3. Heat the olive oil to medium to high in a cooking pot and brown the beef on all sides. Once browned, add the onions, cook a little and then add the chopped tomatoes and carrots.
4. Add the reserved wine marinade (it should half cover the meat and vegetables), bring to the boil before lowering the heat to a simmer and adding all the remaining ingredients – bay leaf, cloves, salt and pepper – except the prunes.
5. Cover and slow-cook over a low heat for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed, to keep the meat half covered and moist. Add the prunes 20 minutes before the end.
6. Remove the beef from the cooking pot and set aside to rest.
7. Place the cooking juices on a medium to high heat and rapidly simmer until it thickens slightly (you can thicken with a little corn flour mixed with water if you wish).
8. Serve the gravy, enriched with the onions, carrots and prunes in a small bowl on the side. Serve the sliced beef in warm bread rolls with shredded iceberg lettuce and lashings of gravy.

 

Nici’s top tip: Using secondary cuts of meat is not only economical but they’re often tastier than the ‘prime cuts’ – just remember they usually need to be slow-cooked to avoid being tough.