Pasticada

Getty Images

This meat sauce for pasta or gnocchi has a sweet-sour flavour. Dad insists it's traditionally served with gnocchi, while Mum goes for homemade pasta.

Ingredients

1 ½ kgs	Beef, fresh beef eye, of silverside (not corned silverside) (Main)
100 g	Pancetta, cut into small strips
3	Garlic cloves, 1 thinly sliced, the others finely chopped
500 ml	Red wine vinegar, up to 750ml
4	Cloves
1 cup	Plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2	Large onions, sliced
80 ml	Olive oil
2	Carrots, roughly chopped
2	Celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp	Tomato paste
1 handful	Parsley, chopped
¼ tsp	Nutmeg, grated
2 tsp	Sugar
1 Ltr	Water, up to 2 ltr or beef stock (to cover)
½ cup	Marsala
1 to taste	Salt and pepper
150 g	Pitted prunes
1 handful	Parsley, finely chopped
1 to serve	Ground parmesan, freshly grated
1 to serve	Pasta, or gnocchi

Directions

1. Cut a dozen small incisions into the meat and stuff with strips of pancetta and the slivers of garlic.
2. Place in a bowl that will fit the meat snugly, add the whole cloves and pour in enough of the vinegar to cover.
3. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
4. The next day, drain the meat (discard the vinegar) and roll well in seasoned flour.
5. Heat the oil on a high heat in a large heavy pot or casserole and add the meat and onions.
6. Brown the meat all over and let the onions soften and take on some colour.
7. Add the chopped garlic, carrot and celery and fry for another couple of minutes.
8. Add the tomato paste, a handful of parsley, nutmeg and sugar, stir and then add enough water and/or beef stock to just cover the meat.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a little more sugar if it tastes very sour.
10. Bring to a boil and simmer for half an hour on a gentle heat before adding the Marsala and simmering for another hour and a half.
11. Remove the meat from the liquid and cut into slices about 5mm-thick. Set aside.
12. Puree the cooking liquid and veges in a food processor until smooth and put back into the pot with the sliced meat.
13. Add the prunes and a little more water if the sauce is very thick and simmer for 15 minutes more.
14. Stir in the extra parsley and serve with pasta or gnocchi and lots of grated parmesan.