Recipe: Pasticada

This special sauce is a Srzich family favourite. Photo / 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.

Serves 6-8

• 1.5kg fresh beef eye of silverside (not corned silverside)
• 100g pancetta, cut into small strips
• 3 cloves garlic - 1 thinly sliced, the others finely chopped
• 4 whole cloves
• 500-750ml red wine vinegar
• 1 cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 80ml olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 slicks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• A handful of parsley, chopped
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1-2 litres of water or beef stock (to cover)
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup Marsala or red wine
• 150g prunes
• Another handful parsley, finely chopped
• Grated fresh parmesan and pasta or gnocchi to serve

1. Cut a dozen small incisions into the meat and stuff with strips of pancetta and the slivers of garlic. Place in a bowl that will fit the meat snugly, add the whole cloves and pour in enough of the vinegar to cover. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.

2. The next day, drain the meat (discard the vinegar) and roll well in seasoned flour.

3. Heat the oil on a high heat in a large heavy pot or casserole and add the meat and onions. Brown the meat all over and let the onions soften and take on some colour.

4. Add the chopped garlic, carrot and celery and fry for another couple of minutes. 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. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a little more sugar if it tastes very sour. 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.

5. Remove the meat from the liquid and cut into slices about 5mm-thick. Set aside. Puree the cooking liquid and veges in a food processor until smooth and put back into the pot with the sliced meat. Add the prunes and a little more water if the sauce is very thick and simmer for 15 minutes more. Stir in the extra parsley and serve with pasta or gnocchi and lots of grated parmesan.