Pastissada de Caval
Verona's iconic horse meat braise, slowly cooked with Valpolicella red wine, onions, and warming spices until meltingly tender, traditionally served with soft polenta.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 210 min
- Total
- 240 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 490 kcal
Equipment
- •heavy lidded casserole pot or Dutch oven
- •large bowl
- •fine mesh sieve
- •tongs
- •wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 490 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 12 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 52 g
- calories
- 490 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place meat in a bowl with wine, carrots, celery, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves.
- 2
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for twelve to twenty-four hours.
- 3
Strain the meat over a bowl, catching and reserving the spiced wine liquid.
- 4
Pat the drained meat chunks completely dry using clean kitchen paper.
- 5
Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat.
- 6
Brown the meat in small batches until deep golden brown on all sides, then remove.
- 7
Add the sliced onions to the remaining oil with a pinch of salt.
- 8
Cook onions gently over low heat for twenty minutes until sweet and completely soft.
- 9
Stir in the tomato paste, nutmeg, browned meat, and any resting juices.
- 10
Pour in the reserved spiced wine through a sieve, discarding the spent marinade vegetables.
- 11
Cover tightly and simmer on very low heat for three hours until the meat collapses.
- 12
Season with salt and pepper, letting the thick, dark sauce coat the tender meat.
Chef's tips
Drying the meat thoroughly before browning ensures a deep, savoury crust rather than steaming. The high ratio of onions is crucial, as they break down over the long braise to naturally thicken and sweeten the sauce. If the braise reduces too quickly before the meat is spoon-tender, stir in a splash of warm water or light stock.
Ingredient substitutions
- horse shoulder or chuck meat → beef chuck or shin, though the rich, slightly sweet iron profile of traditional horse meat will be milder
- Valpolicella red wine → another dry, robust northern Italian red wine such as Corvina or a young Nebbiolo
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days; the flavours improve noticeably overnight.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat, adding a few spoonfuls of water if the sauce is overly dense.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rushing the onion cooking instead of letting them slowly collapse and sweeten.
- •Skipping the overnight marination, which is vital for flavour penetration and meat tenderisation.
- •Boiling the braise vigorously rather than keeping it at the gentlest possible low simmer.
Serving suggestions
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