Zrazy
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Zrazy (Belarusian: Зра́зы) is a meat dish of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is a part of Belarusian cuisine but is popular in many countries.
[edit] Ingredients
Classic zrazy have a twisted shape and are made of thin slices of chopped meat (usually beef), which is flavored with salt and pepper and stuffed with vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, and potato. However, there are numerous stuffing combinations as new ones are encouraged.
The stuffed meat is then twisted and secured with thread or toothpicks. After being fried in oil for a short period of time, the zrazy are placed in a casserole with celery, onion, and various spices and covered with a hot stock. The casserole is then stewed at a low temperature.
Prior to serving, the threads or toothpicks are removed; the zrazy is then drained and sometimes dusted with flour or topped with sour cream.
Zrazy are eaten with the sauce in which they were stewed and are usually garnished with crumbled kasha, usually buckwheat and barley.
[edit] History
It is unknown exactly when this dish was invented as well as which country of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth first produced it; Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine all claim to have created zrazy. However, the same dish has been known in regional Italian cuisine for ages. It is possible that, together with many others, the dish was brought to Eastern Europe by the Princess of Milan, Bona Sforza.[citation needed]
The first exact recipe of zrazy dates back to 1783.[citation needed]
Minced zrazy appeared much later due to the need to utilize leftover meat and other foods.[citation needed] The minced meat commonly used for such zrazy is a mixture of beef and pork, stuffed with finely chopped and fried onions, boiled eggs, vegetables, cereal grain or, indeed, almost any food that is difficult to use otherwise. These are also fried and then stewed in a sauce.
