Active time: ~40 minutes | Total time: ~2½ hours | Serves: 6 | Difficulty: Medium
Quick Overview
- Pound thin slices of beef and season them with salt and pepper
- Spread with mustard, top with bacon, pickled cucumber and onion, then roll up and tie
- Dust the rolls with flour and brown them on all sides
- Braise with onion, broth, bay leaves and allspice for 1½ to 2 hours
- Thicken the sauce, add sour cream if you like, and serve with potato dumplings or mashed potatoes
What Zrazy Wołowe Is
Zrazy wołowe zawijane, or rolled beef zrazy, are a Polish beef roulade. Thin slices of beef are spread with mustard and wrapped around smoked bacon, a sour pickled cucumber and onion, then browned and braised slowly in their own sauce.¹˒²˒³ In Silesia the same dish is called rolada śląska. There it comes with kluski śląskie, potato dumplings with a dimple pressed into each one to hold the sauce, and modra kapusta, braised red cabbage.⁴˒⁵˒⁶
The filling changes from kitchen to kitchen. One published recipe rolls the beef around pickled cucumber and sweet pepper with no bacon at all; another adds a piece of kabanos sausage.⁷˒⁸
History and Cultural Roots
Culture.pl links zrazy to the tables of the Polish and Lithuanian nobility and points to a similar dish among the recipes of Paul Tremo, court cook to Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland.⁴
Beef was expensive, so in Silesia the roulade long belonged to special days. Research cited by Culture.pl found it well known by the interwar years, though at first it was served only at big celebrations, above all weddings. As the mining industry brought more money into Silesian homes, it appeared at christenings, first communions and holiday dinners as well, and after the Second World War it became, together with rosół with noodles, the classic Sunday dinner.⁴
Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture lists the Opole version on its register of traditional products. The entry describes beef spread with mustard and rolled around onion, smoked meat or sausage and a pickled cucumber, tied with string, browned, then covered with water and braised, with a little sour cream stirred in at the end. Families made it for Sunday, never on an ordinary day, and for weddings and christenings.⁵
Traditional Zrazy Wołowe Recipe
This recipe was compiled by Heritage Healthy Kitchen from a comparison of published recipes; the sources are listed at the end of this article. Figures that are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s own estimates rather than taken from a published source are marked as such.
The published recipes use 600g to 1.2kg of beef, cut into slices about 1cm thick and pounded thin, with one or two strips of smoked bacon and between a quarter and a whole pickled cucumber in each roll.¹˒²˒³˒⁸ They braise the rolls in broth, in water, or in broth with red wine, for anywhere from 45 minutes to about 2 hours.¹˒²˒³˒⁴˒⁷ This version uses 900g of beef for six rolls and braises them for 1½ to 2 hours. The weights of the bacon, pickles and onions and the number of servings are Heritage Healthy Kitchen estimates within that range.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 900g (2 lb) beef topside (top round), cut into 6 slices about 1cm (⅜ inch) thick³˒⁸
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons (60g) mustard¹˒²˒³
- 180g (6 oz) smoked bacon, about 12 thin strips¹˒²
- 3 sour pickled cucumbers (ogórki kiszone, about 180g), each cut lengthwise into quarters²˒³
- 2 medium onions (about 250g): one cut into thin strips for the filling, one sliced for the sauce²
- 4 tablespoons (about 30g) plain flour: 2 for dusting the rolls, 2 for the sauce²˒⁸
- 2 tablespoons (30g) lard, clarified butter or rapeseed oil³˒⁸
- 750ml (about 3 cups) beef broth, or water²˒⁵
- 3 bay leaves, 5 allspice berries and a few black peppercorns²˒⁸
- 3 tablespoons (45g) sour cream (optional)³˒⁵
- Kitchen string or toothpicks
Instructions
- Pound the beef. Lay each slice between two sheets of cling film and pound it with a meat mallet until it is very thin. Season both sides with salt and pepper.²˒⁸
- Fill. Spread one side of each slice with mustard. Lay two strips of bacon across it, then one or two pickle quarters and some onion strips along the edge you will start rolling from.²˒³
- Roll and tie. Fold the long sides inward, roll the slice up tightly and tie it with kitchen string, or secure it with toothpicks.²˒⁸
- Brown. Dust the rolls with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Heat the fat in a heavy pot and brown the rolls for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then lift them out.⁸
- Soften the onion. Fry the sliced onion in the same pot for about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits.²
- Braise. Return the rolls to the pot, pour in the broth or water and add the bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1½ to 2 hours, turning the rolls once or twice, until the beef is tender; or braise covered in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 1½ hours.³˒⁷˒⁸ Add a little more liquid if it cooks down too far.¹˒⁷
- Thicken the sauce. Lift out the rolls and the spices. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour into about 120ml (½ cup) of cold water, stir it into the sauce and bring it to a boil until it thickens.² If you are using sour cream, mix it with a spoonful of the warm sauce first, then stir it in.³
- Serve. Remove the string or toothpicks, taste the sauce for salt and pour it over the rolls.² Serve with kluski śląskie and red cabbage, or with mashed potatoes.³˒⁶
Kitchen Tips
Choose lean beef with little sinew. The rolls need well-pounded beef with little sinew.⁴ Recipes call for cuts from the leg, such as topside (top round) or silverside, or for a roasting cut.⁷˒⁸
Give the mustard time. One Silesian recipe spreads the pounded beef with mustard and chills it for at least an hour, ideally overnight, before filling and rolling.³
Try the two-day method. In the Silesian method described by Culture.pl, the rolls are browned slowly the day before, so that no raw meat is left, and braised for about two hours the next day. Some Silesian cooks also soak the beef overnight in soured milk to make it more tender.⁴
Salt at the end. The bacon, pickles, mustard and a ready-made broth all bring salt, so taste the finished sauce before adding any more.²
Nutritional Information
Per serving (1 roll with sauce, 1 of 6)
- Calories: approximately 430–530 kcal
- Protein: approximately 36–44g
- Total fat: approximately 27–33g
- Saturated fat: approximately 10–12g
- Carbohydrates: approximately 8–10g
- Dietary fiber: approximately 1.5g
- Sodium: approximately 1,250–1,530mg
Nutritional values are estimates based on standard ingredient databases (USDA FoodData Central) and will vary with the beef, the bacon, the pickles and the broth. Braised in water instead of ready-made broth, a serving has about 920mg of sodium.
Storage and Reheating
Cool the rolls in their sauce and refrigerate them within 2 hours. They keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.⁹ Reheat them in the sauce over low heat until steaming hot all the way through.
Looking for a Lighter Version?
The Healthy Zrazy Wołowe recipe keeps the beef, mustard, pickles and spices, replaces half the bacon with sautéed mushrooms, braises the rolls in water instead of broth, and uses rapeseed oil instead of lard and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. A serving has about 410 kcal, 7g of saturated fat and 750mg of sodium instead of about 480 kcal, 11g and 1,390mg.
Traditional Zrazy Wołowe
Ingredients
For the rolls and sauce
- 900g (2 lb) beef topside (top round), cut into 6 slices about 1cm (⅜ inch) thick
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons (60g) mustard
- 180g (6 oz) smoked bacon, about 12 thin strips
- 3 sour pickled cucumbers (ogórki kiszone, about 180g), each cut lengthwise into quarters
- 2 medium onions (about 250g): one cut into thin strips, one sliced
- 4 tablespoons (about 30g) plain flour
- 2 tablespoons (30g) lard, clarified butter or rapeseed oil
- 750ml (about 3 cups) beef broth, or water
- 3 bay leaves, 5 allspice berries and a few black peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons (45g) sour cream (optional)
- Kitchen string or toothpicks
Instructions
- Pound each slice thin between sheets of cling film and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Spread with mustard, lay two strips of bacon across, then pickle quarters and onion strips along one edge.
- Fold in the long sides, roll up tightly and tie with string or secure with toothpicks.
- Dust the rolls with 2 tablespoons of flour and brown them in the hot fat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Lift out.
- Fry the sliced onion in the same pot for about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits.
- Return the rolls, add the broth or water, bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, turning once or twice, or braise covered at 180°C (350°F) for about 1½ hours.
- Lift out the rolls and spices. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour whisked into 120ml cold water and boil until thick. Add the sour cream, mixed first with a little warm sauce, if using.
- Remove the string, taste the sauce for salt and pour it over the rolls. Serve with potato dumplings and red cabbage or mashed potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between zrazy wołowe and rolada śląska?
They are the same rolled beef dish under two names. Rolada śląska is the Silesian name, and in Silesia it is served with kluski śląskie and braised red cabbage.⁴˒⁵
Can I make zrazy with pork?
Yes. One Silesian recipe allows pork shoulder or ham instead of beef. Pork needs much less time: about 30 to 40 minutes of braising on the stove, or about 40 minutes in the oven.³
Do zrazy have to contain bacon?
No. Fillings vary: one published recipe uses pickled cucumber and sweet pepper with no bacon, and another adds kabanos sausage.⁷˒⁸ The Healthy Zrazy Wołowe uses half the bacon and adds mushrooms.
How do I thicken the sauce?
Most recipes stir in flour mixed with cold water or a little roux. Others finish the sauce with sour cream or blend it smooth.²˒³˒⁴˒⁷
Can I make zrazy ahead of time?
Yes. In the Silesian method, the rolls are browned the day before and braised the next day.⁴ Cooked rolls keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.⁹
What do you serve with zrazy wołowe?
In Silesia, kluski śląskie and modra kapusta, braised red cabbage. Mashed potatoes are a common alternative.³˒⁴˒⁶
Further Reading & Sources
The recipe is a compilation based on the published recipes listed here; these links are provided for readers who want to explore further.
- Wislowski, Bartek. “Beef roulades (zrazy staropolskie).” SBS Food, June 25, 2015. sbs.com.au
- Anna. “Polish Beef Rolls {Zrazy Zawijane}.” Polish Your Kitchen, June 2, 2017. polishyourkitchen.com
- Kamińska, Dorota. “Rolada śląska.” dorotakaminska.pl, July 10, 2015. dorotakaminska.pl
- “The Silesian Roulade: History & Recipe.” Culture.pl, December 19, 2022 (no author given). culture.pl
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Poland). “Opolska rolada wołowa.” List of Traditional Products, entered January 19, 2007. gov.pl
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Poland). “Kluski śląskie tzw. biołe kluski.” List of Traditional Products, entered January 19, 2007. gov.pl
- “Zrazy wołowe – rolady.” Kwestia Smaku, October 10, 2013, updated February 12, 2024 (no author given). kwestiasmaku.com
- Paruzel, Kinga. “Rolada śląska z kluskami i modrą kapustą.” Kuchnia Lidla (no date given). przepisy.lidl.pl
- “Leftovers and Food Safety.” USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, updated July 31, 2020. fsis.usda.gov
Disclaimer
The information in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Heritage Healthy Kitchen makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content on this site. Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on the specific ingredients, brands, and measurements used. This content is not intended as dietary, medical, or professional nutritional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any dietary needs or health conditions. Heritage Healthy Kitchen is not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use of recipes or information published on this site.
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