Beef rolls, being a popular meat appetizer, as a rule, are served with balyk, ham, sausages and other delicacies. But in some cases they are used as the main dish and consumed hot with a side dish. The method of preparation and design largely depends on the ingredients used. Due to the excellent taste and attractive appearance, many housewives consider beef rolls to be a difficult, labor-intensive dish, and therefore prefer not to mess with it. However, in most cases, it is prepared much easier than it seems.
With prunes and adjika
Cooked according to this recipe rolls are often used as a hot snack. They can be made small (in portions) or formed into one large, and then cut. In the latter case, the dish looks spectacular. To prepare a large beef roll with prunes, you will need such products: 800 grams of pulp, salt and ground pepper, any spices for meat, a tablespoon of adjika. And, of course, pitted prunes (about 200 g).
First you need to put the meat on a cutting board and beat it off on both sides. In order not to damage it with a hammer, you can use cling film. Prune is poured with hot water and left to swell for 15-20 minutes. Salted beef, pepper, sprinkled with seasonings, coated on the inside with adjika.
On one edge of the meat lay prunes and wrap it in a roll. So that the beef during the cooking process does not lose shape, you can use toothpicks, fastening the edges, or stitch them with a thread. Bake roll in the oven at a temperature not exceeding 180 degrees for about an hour and a half, wrapping it with foil. In the last 15-20 minutes, the foil is deployed to get a golden crust. Served exclusively hot, taking out a toothpick or thread and cutting into pieces about 2 cm thick.
With dried apricots and soft cheese
Beef roll, the recipe of which is described above, can be varied with additional ingredients. Dried apricots and soft cheese (feta or feta cheese) are perfectly combined with prunes. They are taken in approximately equal amounts. When using feta cheese, you need to remember that it is salty.
Such beef rolls are prepared in the oven in the same way as described in the previous recipe, but they are served, as a rule, cold, cut into thin slices and carefully laid out on a large plate. You can decorate the dish with lettuce leaves and herbs. At the cut, beef rolls with dried apricots and prunes turn out to be bright and attractive, and the combination of sweet dried fruits with salty cheese turns them into an ideal snack for dry or semi-sweet wine.
With spinach
This is another option for a delicious, healthy and vibrant filling. About 100 grams of hard cheese, a bunch of parsley, a large onion, a little green basil, garlic to taste, salt and seasoning for meat, 2 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, butter and olive oil are taken per kilogram of beef tenderloin . Spinach can be used fresh or frozen. It will need about 4 bunches or 400 g.
The cut is cut across the fibers, trying to deploy it on the principle of a book, and then beat off on both sides. Then the meat is salted, sprinkled with seasonings and greased with olive oil.
After that, prepare the filling. Onions and garlic are peeled, chopped as finely as possible and lightly fried in butter. Frozen spinach is added there, salted and stewed for several minutes, stirring. The fill is prepared separately by mixing the yolks with cream and grated cheese. Then combine it with the cooled spinach mixture. Chopped parsley and basil are added there. When using fresh spinach, you can not stew it, but simply cut and combine with other products.
Form a roll, laying the filling on the edge of the meat layer. It is tightly wrapped, fastening the edges with toothpicks, slightly fried in a pan, placed in a baking sleeve and sent to a not too hot oven for 1.5 hours.
Instead of spinach, in the same way they make a filling of mushrooms (champignons, oyster mushrooms, etc.). They are washed, finely chopped and stewed with onions, garlic and spices, and then combined with the same egg-cheese fill. About 300 g of mushrooms will be needed per kilogram of meat.
Served beef roll stuffed with spinach or champignon is mostly hot. But even as a cold snack, it will fit perfectly. At the same time, do not forget to remove all toothpicks and cut it with a sharp knife. As a side dish, mashed potatoes or vegetable salad are suitable. You can use boiled rice or other porridge.
With minced chicken and capers
Quite unusual and piquant is the beef roll, the recipe of which contains a different kind of meat. For example, pork or minced chicken. For 900 g of beef you will need 2 large onions and carrots, a bunch of parsley and 3 tablespoons of capers. In addition, you need a pound of minced chicken, an egg, 50 g of bread, 150 ml of dry white wine, a spoon of tomato paste, 50 ml of olive oil and half a glass of milk. Salt, thyme, ground pepper and nutmeg are taken from spices.
First, prepare the filling. For this, minced chicken is mixed with bread previously soaked in milk. Chopped greens, capers, salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme and egg are added to it. Beef is cut into portions, beaten, stuffed with minced meat and rolled into rolls. The edges are fixed with toothpicks and then fried in half a mixture of butter and olive oils. Separately, finely chopped carrots with onions are fried on the remaining fat, add tomato and wine, stew for 3 minutes.
Rolls are exempted from toothpicks, laid out in a baking dish, poured with the resulting sauce and put in the oven for an hour. Served with mashed potatoes or salad.
Without filling
For many, this option may seem commonplace, but it is in this form that the meatloaf will serve as an ideal cold snack. You will need a fairly large piece of beef tenderloin, salt, thyme, ground pepper, mustard seeds and any other spices. Everything is taken to taste. The meat is beaten and marinated, rubbed with salt and seasonings. Leave for 40 minutes. Then it is coated with mustard (inner side), rolled up and baked, wrapped in foil, about 2 hours. The oven does not have to be very hot. The finished roll is sent for storage in the refrigerator, and served it cooled, cutting as thin as possible.
With egg
The previous recipe can be slightly improved and made brighter. For these purposes, several boiled eggs or carrots are suitable. They are placed inside as a whole, laid out one after the other before forming beef rolls. The cut is quite original, and most importantly - delicious. Serve cold, garnished with sprigs of parsley.
Beef roll in a slow cooker
This rather popular household appliance can be used along with the oven. In a slow cooker, rolls according to any of the above recipes are baked. Since most of these devices support the slow stewing function, the meat is more tender and juicy. For beef roll it is very important.
The residence time of a dish in a slow cooker can vary from an hour to three, depending on the chosen program. 40 minutes before being ready for meat, sometimes peeled potatoes are added. In this case, in addition to the main dish, at the same time a delicious side dish is obtained.
Decor
A good dish on the festive table must be effectively served. If we are talking about a hot option, then it is best for each guest to issue a separate plate. In the case of using meatloaf as a cold snack, it is laid out on a common dish. You can decorate the plate with herbs, vegetables or sauce. At the same time, it is better to lay out small rolls whole, and pre-cut large rolls.