Zrazy Recipes

ZRAZAI (LITHUANIAN BEEF ROLLS)

Steps:

• Rinse the dry mushrooms and place in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand overnight, or at least four hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.
• Remove the dried mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Chop the mushrooms. Strain and reserve the soaking liquid (a coffee filter is good for this).
• Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and both types of mushrooms and saute, over medium high heat, until the liquid released by the mushrooms start to evaporate, 10-12 minutes.
• Remove to a bowl, add the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and mix well. Set aside. (You can prepare to this point, and refrigerate until you are ready to complete the dish).
• 1 1/2 lb of sandwich steaks comes as four large slices,typically. Place one slice on your work surface, lightly salt and pepper, and cut in half into roughly equal rectangular pieces.
• If you are using round steak, try to buy it thinly sliced. Cut into 8 or 10 equal pieces, cover with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until it becomes about 1/4 inch or so thick, about 4"x6". Salt and pepper as above.
• Place a spoonful of the filling at one end, and roll it up, tucking in the sides. Use toothpicks to secure the packet (the round ones work best), If toothpicks are not available, tie up with kitchen string, but I think toothpicks are easier.
• Heat the remaining butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Dredge the rolls in flour, tapping off the excess, and brown in the skillet.
• As the rolls finish browning, remove them to a Dutch oven or similar covered casserole dish, keeping them in a single layer.
• Reduce the heat to medium low, add 1/2 cup chicken stock and heat, scraping up the fond. Measure the mushroom soaking liquid and add enough broth to equal 1/2 cup. Add to the skillet and allow to heat.
• Pour over the rolls, add the bay leaf, cover tightly and place in oven, for about 45 minutes. Test with a knife - the roll should pierce with no resistance.
• Remove the rolls to a serving dish, removing the toothpicks. Defat the juices and serve on the side.
• Note1: You can enrich the gravy with about 1/2 cup of sour cream, if you like.
• Note2: If you have filling left over, and I usually do when using 1 1/2 lbs of meat, it is excellent as a filling for omelettes.
• Note3: Beef broth is more traditional, but I like chicken broth better - believe me, it will taste very beefy at the end.
• Note4: Feel free to play around with the filling - fresh parsley or dill is very nice, some people like add some diced bacon. If you do not have rye bread, then use any good quality non-sweet bread. I usually use a dark rye.

ZRAZY ZAWIJANE (POLISH BEEF ROULADE IN SOUR CREAM SAUCE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
• Saute the mushrooms and onions until the liquid in the pan starts to evaporate (8-10 minutes) (Do NOT let the mushrooms brown).
• Stir in the bread crumbs and half of the salt and pepper; remove from heat.
• Cut the steak into 8 rectangular pieces 3-4" wide by 6-8" long, sprinkle both sides evenly with remaining salt and pepper.
• Spread a thin layer of the mustard on each slice of beef, and place 1/8 of the stuffing on the shorter end of each piece of steak.
• Roll the steaks into cyclinders, enclosing the stuffing, and tuck in the sides; secure each end with kitchen cord.
• Roll the zrazy in flour and vigorously shake off any excess.
• In a heavy skillet, melt remaining butter with oil over high heat, and brown the rolls, turning them often so they evenly turn a rich golden brown without burning (about 15 minutes).
• As they brown transfer them to a casserole dish large enough to hold them all in a single layer.
• Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the skillet and replace it with the beef stock.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom and sides of the pan).
• Pour the broth over the rolls and cover tightly.
• Braise in the oven until the meat is so tender that it gives no resistance when pierced with the tip of a skewer or knife (45 minutes).
• Remove the zrazy from the casserole dish, cut the cord off and cover with tin foil to keep the rolls warm while you make the sauce.
• Skim off and discard as much of the fat as possible from the liquid remaining in the casserole dish.
• Return to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, and mix in the sour cream.
• Season to taste and serve over zrazy.

STUFFED BEEF ROLLS (ZRAZY ZAWIJANE)

Steps:

• For the beef rolls: Sprinkle salt and pepper over each side of the sliced beef. Then spread a thin layer of yellow mustard onto each piece. Divide the pickle strips, bacon and onions onto each steak. Fold in the sides and roll to secure the insides.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the rolls on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the rolls and set aside. Add the flour to the pan and cook until light brown to make a roux, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve the roux in the pan to make the sauce.
• Bring the water to a boil in a large stockpot. Wrap each beef roll in a 11-by-7-inch piece of aluminum foil and twist the ends to seal the rolls tightly inside. Place the rolls into the boiling water and bring down the heat to a high simmer. Cover and cook in the water for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Remove the rolls from the water with tongs and reserve the cooking liquid to prepare the sauce.
• For the sauce: Heat the pan with the roux over medium heat and add the cooking liquid, stock, tomato paste, red wine and paprika. Simmer until the liquid is a sauce consistency (coats a spoon). Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 cups.
• To serve, unwrap the beef rolls from the foil. Spoon the sauce over each beef roll and accompany with mashed potatoes or noodles covered in sauce and a vegetable.

ZRAZY ZAWIJANE (STUFFED ROLLS OF BEEF)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice the bread lengthwise into six pieces, each one as thick as an index finger. Slice the pickle lengthwise into six fingers. Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise.
• Place a steak slice between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound evenly until it is very thin. Distribute a few onion slices over center of meat, add a finger of bread, one of pickle and a half slice of bacon. Sprinkle a very little salt (the bacon will add salt) and some pepper over all. Wrap the steak slice around the stuffing and tie or fasten with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining steak slices.
• Bring the chicken or beef stock to a slow simmer and add the dried mushrooms. (If using Italian mushrooms, soak them first in warm water for 20 minutes, then rinse to rid them of sand.) Remove from heat and let mushrooms steep in hot stock for at least 20 minutes.
• Roll beef rolls in the flour.
• Heat one tablespoon of oil and one of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until butter foam subsides. Add remaining sliced onion and cook, stirring and tossing slices until onion is thoroughly browned; remove to an ovenproof dish. Add remaining butter and oil to the pan and brown the beef rolls evenly on all sides. When rolls are thoroughly browned and crisp on all sides, add to the dish with the onions. Distribute onions over and around beef rolls.
• Add stock and mushrooms, and bring to a gentle simmer on top of the stove. Place in oven and bake about two hours, or until the beef rolls are fork tender and the braising liquid has reduced to a syrupy gravy.