Croatian Pot Roast
Ingredients
2.5 kg (5 lb.) beef, top round
275 g (10 oz.) smoked bacon
550 g (20 oz.) onion
225 g (8 oz.) parsley root
150 g (5 oz.) carrots
4 cloves garlic
275 g (10 oz.) peeled tomato
275 g (10 oz.) fresh celery
8 prunes
3 liters (12 cups) dry red wine
2 tsp. mustard
275 ml (10 oz.) olive oil
Bay leaf, rosemary, thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Pre-preparation
Wash meat and pat dry. Cut bacon into matchsticks. Chop onion and garlic.
Cut the vegetables into small strips.
Pierce the beef with a sharp knife at regular intervals and insert slivers of garlic into and around the meat.
Place the beef into a large non-reactive pan; cover with the wine. Add the chopped onion, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, pepper and cubed celery to the pan. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Preparation
Heat the oil and place the beef (alone) into the pan with the oil. Brown the meat briskly and remove from the pan.
Add the contents from the marinade to the oil and fry briskly. Add the browned meat, peeled tomatoes, prunes and remaining ingredients to the pan.
Mix well and cook for 2-3 hours, reducing the heat to a simmer after it comes to an initial boil.
Remove the meat and slice. Strain the juice from pan and serve as sauce.
CROATIAN CHRISTMAS
Christmas eve is a fast day. Only plain bread is eaten, whereas in the evening "fat" beans are served with sauerkraut and onions fried in oil. Try the wonderful strukli (a kind of large vegetable ravioli) served with a compote of dried fruits (prunes, pears and apples).
When it comes to Christmas Day, there once was a time when everyone made a traditional bread called "cipov" (also prepared for Easter) from wheat, yeast and milk. Lunch is a three-course meal composed of cold meats, turkey and walnut and poppy seed rolls. Dinner is more elaborate and starts with a clear soup with fresh noodles. Next comes a spit-roasted suckling pig, a goose or turkey accompanied by the traditional strukli. There is an extravagant array of desserts with countless cakes and cookies. Among them we should mention Croatian Kuglof that bears no resemblance to its Alsatian namesake. It's a walnut and poppy seed cake glazed with egg, crowned for the occasion with a candle and a pine bough.
The Croatian baking tradition is evident everywhere. There are two kinds of bread: Badnji Kruh, or Christmas eve bread made with honey, walnuts and dried fruit; and the braided Christmas bread. Nutmeg, raisins and almonds are mixed into the dough before it is woven into the shape of a wreath. It often serves as the centerpiece for Christmas dinner and stays on the table until Epiphany.
