Zrazy Zawijane (Polish Beef Roulades)
Zrazy Zawijane are traditional Polish beef roulades, typically filled with bacon, pickles, and onion, then braised until tender. This hearty dish is a staple of Polish cuisine, perfect for a satisfying dinner.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 2 hr
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 652 kcal
Allergen information: may contain gluten, mustard, and sulphites. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 600 gbeef sirloin, cut into 4 thin slices
- 2 tbspdijon mustard
- 2 tbspall-purpose flour
- 2 tbspvegetable oil
- 500 mlbeef broth
- 1 pcsbay leaf
- 3 pcsallspice berry
- 1 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
filling
- 100 gbacon, sliced
- 2 pcsdill pickle, cut into strips
- 0.5 pcsyellow onion, finely chopped
Equipment
plastic wrap · dutch oven · meat mallet · kitchen twine · large heavy-bottomed pot
The method
Step by step
- 1
Place each slice of beef between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it thinly with a meat mallet until about 0.5 cm thick.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Pounding creates a larger surface area for rolling and tenderizes the meat.
- 2
Spread Dijon mustard evenly over one side of each beef slice.
About 2 min
- 3
Arrange bacon slices, dill pickle strips, and chopped yellow onion on one end of each beef slice.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Leave a small border around the edges to help seal the roulade.
- 4
Season the filling with salt and black pepper.
About 1 min
- 5
Carefully roll up each beef slice from the filled end, tucking in the sides as you go, to form a tight roulade.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Rolling tightly prevents the filling from escaping during cooking.
- 6
Secure each roulade with kitchen twine or toothpicks.
About 2 min
- 7
Lightly dust the outside of each roulade with all-purpose flour.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: This helps create a nice crust and thickens the sauce.
- 8
Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
About 2 min
- 9
Sear the beef roulades on all sides until nicely browned, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Browning adds deep flavor to the final dish.
- 10
Remove the browned roulades from the pot and set aside.
About 1 min
- 11
Deglaze the pot with a splash of beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: This captures all the flavorful fond.
- 12
Return the roulades to the pot and pour in the remaining beef broth, ensuring the meat is mostly submerged.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Add more broth if needed to cover the roulades.
- 13
Add the bay leaf and allspice berries to the pot.
- 14
Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and braise for 1.5 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender.
About 1 hr 30 min
Cook’s note: Check occasionally and add more broth or water if the liquid reduces too much.
- 15
Remove the roulades from the pot and discard the kitchen twine or toothpicks, bay leaf, and allspice berries.
About 2 min
- 16
If desired, reduce the braising liquid over medium-high heat until it reaches your preferred consistency for a sauce.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- 17
Serve the Zrazy Zawijane warm, spooning the sauce over the top.
Cook’s note: Traditionally served with potato dumplings (kluski śląskie) or mashed potatoes.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 651.7kcal
- Protein
- 51.1g
- Carbs
- 8.4g
- Fat
- 46.9g
- Fibre
- 1.4g
- Sugar
- 2g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover Zrazy Zawijane in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently in a pot on the stovetop over low heat, or in the microwave until warmed through.