• Pašticada meat must be from the hind part of the cow. The best cut is top round. Clean the meat of any sinew and pat it dry.
  

Make the marinade

• Peel and slice each garlic clove into three pieces. Chop the pancetta into chunks of similar size. Drive a knife into the meat at a 30-degree angle, making small pockets a few centimeters (1 in) apart. Fill the incisions with garlic, pancetta slices, and cloves.
  
• Place the meat into a glass or ceramic pot. Pour in the wine vinegar and wine. Then, add rosemary sprigs and any remaining garlic. Avoid plastic containers because acidity might erode them.
  
• Leave to marinate overnight, but turn the meat over once after a few hours so it soaks up the juices evenly.
  

Brown and braise the meat

• Choose a heavy-bottomed pan and heat the lard on medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place it on the hot lard and brown the meat on all sides – this will take about 10-15 minutes.
  
• Add the onion and celeriac into the pan and arrange them around the meat. Season with salt and cover. Cook on medium heat and wait for the onion to release its juices.
  
• Season with pepper and nutmeg. Add a splash of water and simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes until the onion turns mushy.
  

Make the sauce

• Pour in the dessert wine and marinade, and add the tomato paste and half of the prunes. The liquid should cover half the meat's height. Cook on low for 1 hour, covered, until the meat is tender.
  
• Remove the meat and place it on a cutting board. Cut it into 1.5 cm (0.5-in) thick slices.
  
• Blitz the sauce with an immersion blender and adjust the seasoning to taste, Experiment with more salt, more dessert wine (for sweetness) and/or more marinade (for acidity).
  
• Add the meat back to the pot, inside the sauce. Throw in the rest of the prunes and more rosemary, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
  
• Serve with homemade njoki.