what is zrazy?

relatively new boyfriend, as such ,is cooking this for me on sunday. i know it involves steak rolled up in a pancake with a filling of bacon, cucumber and mushrooms.he went to tesco earlier to buy steak. i didnt know what type of steak he needed, but he has come back with rump steak.now he has asked me if i have toothpicks.i presume he must mean skewers? or maybe i will be picking bits of meat out of my teeth? my polish lodger has gone out so i cant ask him either.also i think it takes about an hour to cook?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zrazy

There are several types of "zrazy", but you are referring evidently to "zrazy zawijane" - the rolled, or wrapped slices of meat, usually beef, but sometimes pork or veal, covering delicious stuffing, braised in an aromatic sauce. It has always been a specialty of the Polish cuisine.

It is the stuffing that determines the taste of "zrazy". You can come with any stuffing of your own, or use a ready to use recipe. The bottom line is that the filling should be composed of the matching components, well seasoned, and of the right consistency. An integral part of this great dish is fantastic sauce. Before you start cooking your "slices" you need to either skew them or tie them up - using some kitchen thread (do not go overboard, you do not need several meters of such thread per one slice. :-))

There are hundreds of recipes for "zrazy zawijane" - just google it (in quotation marks). But since you are not the one to be cooking them, just type it in "google" and select "images" instead, so you will see what to expect visually during various stages of the preparation and cooking.

I like them served with buckwheat, but that's an acquired taste.

My father was born and raised in Upper Silesia. He called them rolady from the German rouladen I suppose. His were simple but good.

One hour only? No. The longer they're cooked the better (low heat). The best they get after a day or even two when they mature after having been cooked! Yummy!

thanks for replies, cant wait until i try this tomorrow. i love my food!!!

A verrryyy delicious kind of meatballs.

Very close to beef olives, except they usually make them with pork.

What do you mean?

Exactly what I say.

- with this exception that "they usually make them with pork" is not true. For example, I have never had a pork-based "zrazy" in my life. The "usually" do not apply to my nearest circle of family and friends. :-)

I like the "beef olives" name though. :-) Where did it come from?

Google images of the two look similar indeed.

Nor had I!
Zrazy equals beef!

I think the name comes from the shape - that and the fact they're stuffed. I've had both beef and pork zrazy - more often beef now I think about it Carina in Warsaw used to them with turkey, which was unusual.

Not sure about the name, but you are right that they can be make from pork, beef and game. However the most common and poplar in Poland are zrazy from beef, preferably with onion and mushrooms.

i have died and gone to food heaven!!!!zrazy is delicious!!!here is how mine was made ( probably boring pants off everyone on pf ).rump steak was battered to death, and coated with mustard on one side, and seasoned w ith black pepper and salt.half a gherkin, mushroom and bacon was added before being rolled up into pancake and skewered together.i was not allowed to interfere at all at any stage....it was initially fried in smalec, and then boiling water was added periodically, along with finely diced onions,a bit of vegetal and a stock cube. took about 2 and a half hours, and the sauce was lovely!!!consistency of sauce a bit like treacle.i want more!!!!!thought golabki was my number 1 dish,but its now in second place.

A belated Smacznego Pam!