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1
Sear the Beef
15 Mins • Hands On
High heat, about 200°C (400°F) pan surface
Take the beef out of the marinade and pat it dry — a wet surface will not brown. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot until it shimmers, then sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 3 minutes per side. Lift it out and set it aside; keep the marinade liquid.
Do not move the meat while it sears. Leave it alone and the crust forms on its own.
Done when: Deep brown crust on every side; the pot bottom is coated in browned bits.
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2
Build the Sauce Base
15 Mins • Hands On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
In the same pot, cook the onions, carrots, celery and parsley root for 10 minutes until soft and starting to colour. Stir in the chopped garlic and tomato paste and cook 2 more minutes until the paste darkens. Pour in the reserved marinade, the rest of the red wine and the prošek, and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom.
Darkening the tomato paste takes away its raw tinny taste — do not rush it.
Done when: Vegetables are soft, the paste is brick-red, and the pot smells of wine.
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3
Braise Low and Slow
3 Hrs 30 Mins • Simmering
Low simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Return the beef to the pot with the prunes, bay leaves and beef broth — the liquid should come two-thirds of the way up the meat. Cover and simmer very gently for 3½ hours, turning the beef once an hour, until a knife slides in with no resistance. The meat must be cooked through to at least 63°C (145°F) at the centre, and it will be far beyond that by the time it is tender.
A bare simmer, not a boil — boiling tightens lean beef and makes it dry.
Done when: A knife slides into the beef with no resistance; the sauce has reduced by a third.
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4
Slice and Blend the Sauce
20 Mins • Hands On
Warm, about 60°C (140°F)
Lift the beef out, remove the bay leaves, and slice the meat into thick slices. Blend the vegetables and cooking liquid until completely smooth, then return the sauce to the pot with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Taste: it should be sweet, sour and rich all at once — add a drop more vinegar or sugar until the balance is right. Lay the beef slices back into the sauce and simmer 10 minutes more.
Blend the sauce hot and in batches — a full hot blender can blow its lid.
Done when: The sauce coats a spoon and tastes sweet-sour; the beef slices are glossy.
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5
Cook the Gnocchi and Serve
10 Mins • Hands On
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until they float to the surface, about 2–3 minutes, then drain. Spoon the gnocchi onto warm plates, lay the beef slices over the top, and ladle the sauce generously over everything.
Warm the plates first — the sauce cools fast on a cold plate.
Done when: Gnocchi float and are tender; the plate is saucy and steaming.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the beef slices over hot gnocchi with plenty of the dark, glossy sauce spooned over, and a little grated Parmesan if you like.
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