Zrazy Zawijane (Polish Beef Roll-Ups with Mushroom Filling)

Zrazy Zawijane (Polish Beef Roll-Ups with Mushroom Filling)

My Mom and Dad's wedding in 1949. Aunt Pauline, my Dad's sister and
my future Godmother is in the upper center of the door
at my grandmother's house on Florida St. in Detroit.

My Godmother, my Aunt Pauline, lived in a small white clapboard house on Stout Stout Street in Detroit, not far from the Awrey Bakery where she worked for several years. I would remember our visits to her house because she always had a stash of Superior Potato Chips that were made in Detroit and were absolutely delicious.

Aunt Pauline was a fabulous cook, and no matter that our visits were unannounced, she would always put a spread on the crowded table in her kitchen. I especially loved the Polish beef roll-ups that she made. I tried to duplicate her recipe, and I searched many websites on Polish cooking, but none were what I was imagining, and every one was different. The  recipe below comes close. Enjoy!

ZRAZY ZAWIJANE (POLISH BEEF ROLL-UPS WITH MUSHROOM FILLING)

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 and 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped

1 and 1/2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup panko

2 tablespoons dill pickle relish

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 pound top round steak, trimmed of fat & thinly sliced, about ¼” thick (About 10-12 slices) (I found pre-sliced New York loin steak in the meat department)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons flour

5-6 slices of bacon, halved

2 cups lower sodium beef stock

2⁄3 cup sour cream

Optional: 2 cups sliced mushrooms, sauteed in 1 tablespoon butter until softened.

 DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms,  onions, and celery until soft. Remove from heat. Stir in bread crumbs, dill pickle relish, and parsley and half of the salt and pepper.

Cut the steak into 8 rectangular pieces 3-4" wide by 6-8" long, sprinkle both sides evenly with remaining salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread a thin layer of the mustard on each slice of beef, place a piece of bacon lengthwise on the meat followed by 1 heaping tablespoon of the stuffing on the shorter end of each piece of steak. Roll the steaks, enclosing the stuffing, and tuck in the sides; secure each end with kitchen string or toothpicks.

Dredge the zrazy lightly in flour shaking 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 golden brown. 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 tender about 45 minutes.



Remove the zrazy from the casserole dish, remove string or toothpicks and cover 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. Stir in additional sliced mushrooms sauteed in butter. Season to taste and serve over rice or mashed potatoes.