Rust Befi.e. a fragment of the muscle running along the cow’s back, it is a part of beef that has been considered exceptionally valued for years. In the times of the Polish People’s Republic, it often appeared on tables in good shape juicy rump steak or beefsteak with onion. Today, although entrecotes and tenderloins dominate in restaurants, roast beef is slowly coming back into favor. It has an extremely noble taste that brings back memories of the best home cooking.
Roast beef is a fragment of the rear part of a beef carcass, located between the entrecote and the tenderloin. As the website kontakter.pl explains: “rump in English it means rump, a steak – steak and that’s where its name comes from. It’s a muscle that works, but not as intensely as a leg. It’s soft and firm at the same time. It combines two features that are most appreciated in beef – tenderness and a distinctive taste. In cross-section, it has a deep, dark red color, slightly streaked with thin veins of fat (marbled). During frying, these threads dissolve, giving the meat juiciness and flavor.
It is this fat – in the right amount – that makes roast beef full of flavor, but not overly heavy. The meat has a compact structure, so it is best suited for short thermal processing (frying or grilling). Thanks to this, it remains juicy and the outside acquires a slightly ruddy crust. It is also suitable for roasts – a thin layer of fat protects the meat from drying out.
Roast beef is one of the most valuable cuts of beefbecause it contains a lot of nutritional value. There are approximately 180 kcal in 100 grams of raw meat. This is the source complete protein (approx. 22 g), which provides all the essential amino acids needed for the construction and regeneration of tissues. It also gives a long-lasting feeling of satiety and helps maintain stable blood sugar levels. Roast beef is also rich in heme ironwhich the body absorbs much better than iron from plant products. Thanks to this may support the prevention of anemia and help maintain proper production of red blood cells.
You can also find a lot of it in meat zinc, phosphorus and seleniumand also B vitamins. These ingredients play a major role in proper functioning of the nervous system, metabolic processes and maintaining healthy skin. Roast beef contains a small amount of saturated fat, but it is balanced by its presence unsaturated fatty acidswhich support the heart and circulatory system. In moderate portions, roast beef can be part of a healthy diet, especially if it comes from a good farm. It is best to eat it baked, stewed or grilled – without excess fat and breading.
. Although it requires short frying, the key to success is in fact proper preparation before thermal treatment. The meat must be at room temperature and should “rest” after frying so that the juices distribute evenly.
Roast beef is a very versatile meat in the kitchen. They can be fried, baked, grilled and even served with carpaccio. In European cuisine, it is used for many classics: roast beef, steaks, tartare Whether delicate rolls. Cut into thin slices will also work as cold meat – served cold with a bit of salt and mustard, it tastes simply great.
In Poland, roast beef is most often associated with rump steak, i.e. a cutlet of chopped beeffried in butter or lard. However, you can also prepare an elegant French-style dish from the same piece of beef – whole roast beefserved with roasted vegetables and red wine. It goes well with spices with a deep aroma, such as garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard seeds and black pepper.
What to do with roast beef? This perfect meat for grilling – properly marinated and briefly roasted over the fire, it remains soft and juicy. You can go for it too prepare using the sous vide methodwhich allows you to achieve the perfect degree of doneness. In the modern version, it goes perfectly with salads with arugula, parmesan and balsamic vinegar.
The website kontakter.pl mentions that “it has also been appreciated in Austria, where for years it has been one of the key ingredients of Tafelspitz, i.e. a dish cooked in vegetable stock with the addition of pepper, juniper seeds and bay leaves. An interesting version of rump steak can also be found in the Czech Republic – it is there under the name svíčková na smetaně and is served with vegetables and cream.”
It’s worth remembering that good roast beef does not need many additives – just salt, pepper and a little fat. The biggest secret lies in the quality of the meat and its precise preparation.
Roast beef rump steak is a simple dish, but it has something extremely elegant about it. It does not require long preparation or fancy ingredients – just good meat, onion and a bit of fat. It is in this simplicity that its charm lies. In the past, rump steak was a symbol of a decent meat dinner, served with potatoes and pickled cucumber. “The dish dominated the tables in the times of the Polish People’s Republic. It is a simple recipe for a tasty dinner that brings back memories from the old days,” says Magda Krupa, creator of the online culinary profile SmakowiteDania and author of the recipe for rump steak just like grandma’s.
It is worth remembering that technique matters when preparing this dish. The meat should not be pounded with a pestle chop with a well-sharpened knife. A common mistake is frying too longwhich makes the meat tough. Just a few minutes on each side is enough for the rump steak to be ready.
Ingredients (for approx. 5 servings):
- 500 g of chopped roast beef,
- 3-4 tablespoons of cold water,
- 5 onions,
- oil and butter for frying (or lard),
- sun,
- black pepper.
How to do it:
- Peel the onions and cut into slices. Heat a little oil in a pan with a teaspoon of butter (if you want to copy the recipe from the Polish People’s Republic, use lard). Add the onions and fry until golden brown. At the end, when the vegetable is golden brown, sprinkle it with salt. Remove the ready addition from the burner and let it cool.
- Remove the roast beef from the refrigerator at least an hour before preparing the rump steaks. When it reaches room temperature, chop it very finely (or grind it if you want to speed up the preparation and don’t mind deviating from the traditional recipe). Place the meat in a deep bowl.
- Pour water over the meat and season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to combine the ingredients and obtain a smooth mass.
- With wet hands, form round, slightly flattened cutlets. Place in a frying pan with well-heated fat (again, oil and butter or lard). Fry each for 3-4 minutes on each side, until brown.
- Remove the rump steaks from the heat, place them on a paper towel to drain excess fat and let them “rest” a bit.
- Place on a plate and place a large portion of fried onion on top of each. Serve with mashed potatoes and pickled cucumber salad with onion.
Roast beef is a cut of beef that deserves to be returned to our everyday kitchen. It combines tradition, elegance and, above all, good taste. It allows you to prepare dishes that will delight every meat lover.
It is also worth remembering so as not to confuse rump steak (prepared with roast beef) with another iconic dish from the Polish People’s Republic, i.e . The former is thicker and made of chopped meat, while bryzol is a thin cutlet made of a slice of beef (usually of slightly lower quality, e.g. leg or shoulder). However, both dishes have their roots in Polish home cooking, so it is worth refreshing the recipes.
Start with a rump steak that will bring back childhood memories. You can eat roast beef once a week (preferably baked, stewed or grilled) to benefit from its properties without burdening your body.
Source: Terazgotuje.pl, kontakter.pl
