Zrazy is an Eastern European dish made of a thin beef steak wrapped around a filling, fried in butter and oil, then braised in the oven. The filling can include vegetables and starches. It is similar to a beef roulade and can be served with a sauce made from the braising liquids and sour cream.
Zrazy is an Eastern European dish that consists of a thin piece of meat, usually a beef steak, wrapped in a filling and then cooked. Once properly assembled and rolled, the meat is usually fried in a small amount of butter and oil until browned, then placed in a saucepan and braised in the oven until cooked through. The braising liquids are then typically used to make a sauce served on the dish, sometimes with sour cream. Zrazy can be made with many different ingredients to create the filling, including various vegetables and starches.
While several countries claim to have created this dish, including Poland and Ukraine, zrazy is basically a beef roulade. A roulade typically refers to any dish that consists of a piece of meat, pounded thin and wrapped around a filling before cooking. Zrazy starts with a cut of meat—beef steak is the traditional choice for this cut, although ground or ground beef can also be used and formed around the filling. This variation on the dish can be made and served, although the wrap form is traditional.
Once the beef steak is chosen, it is mashed and cut into several pieces which will be used to make individual servings of zrazy. The filling is then prepared, including anything from lightly browned mushrooms, onions, and breadcrumbs mixed together, to thinly sliced ham, pickles, and green onions. The thin cuts of beef are seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides, then one side is slathered with Dijon mustard and the stuffing is divided between the different pieces of meat.
These thin beef cutlets are then rolled up with the filling in the middle and the sides tucked in to create the final zrazy, similar to making cabbage rolls. The rolls are then tied with butcher’s string or pierced with toothpicks to hold their shape and cooked until golden brown on all sides in a small amount of butter and oil. These are then removed from the pan and placed in a saucepan. The pan is glazed with broth or broth, which is then brought to a boil and poured over the rolls.
The casserole is covered and placed in a hot oven to cook for about 45 minutes. Once removed, the zrazy are taken from the saucepan and set aside, the barbed wire or toothpicks removed. The fat in the remaining liquid is removed and the liquids in the saucepan are then heated and cooked to create a sauce. Sour cream is often added to this sauce or added on top of portions and the sauce is poured over the individual wraps for serving.
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