No. 821 — Minced Beef Zrazy
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 821 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Scrape the beef with a knife, removing sinews, then mix with finely chopped beef kidney fat. Add two eggs, a little grated white bread, salt and pepper, and either two spoonfuls of sour cream or one spoonful of butter.
Mix thoroughly, shape small flat zrazy and fry in hot butter.
When nearly done, add ½–1 glass of sour cream and braise under a lid for a while, adding broth as needed. Arrange on a platter and pour over the same sauce.
Alternatively, omit the additional glass of sour cream, fry the zrazy in butter alone and serve with the anchovy sauce of No. 411. The broth for this sauce can be prepared from leftover beef trimmings and sinews with roots and spices.
To provide
3 Russian pounds of boneless beef ¼ Russian pound of kidney fat 2 eggs, salt and ½ Russian pound of white bread 5 black peppercorns and 5 allspice berries | 2 spoonfuls of sour cream or ½ Russian pound of butter 1 spoonful of butter Optional: ½–1 glass of sour cream |