KHOTYN, UKRAINE and YALOVICHINI KREPLENIKY: Stuffed Beef Rolls

My mother made wonderful meals, but she never pounded  . . .  and stuffed  . . .  and rolled  . . .  and tied up beef!

    

So who prepared these delicious Ukrainian krepleniky?

  

Must have been the cooks for the lords and ladies in the Ukrainian zamoks (castles) . . .

  Overlooking the River Dnistr, 15^th century Khotyn Castle 

 Entering the fortress that guarded a trade route

Walls 40 m high and 6 m thick

Outer fortification walls

Perfect for a Picnic

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YALOVICHINI KREPLENIKY

based on a recipe in Bohdan Zahny’s The Best of Ukrainian Cuisine p. 90

1 lb round roast (may be cut off a larger Eye of Round Roast)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

kitchen string

½ pound onion

2 tbsp butter

¼ cup raw brown jasmine rice

2 eggs

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 ½ cups sour cream

½ cup salted vegetable stock (or bouillon)

1. Cut roast into  6 slices ¼ inch thick.
2. Brush both sides of each slice with lemon juice.
3. Let  rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to tenderize.

4.  Bring rice to boil in ¾ cup salted water (or vegetable stock).   Cover, and cook on lowest heat   for 25-30 minutes (until water is all absorbed).
5. Hard-boil the eggs.
6. Chop the onion finely.  Sauté in butter on medium heat for 8 minutes.  Lower heat and continue browning for 7 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Add the rice to the onions.  Chop the eggs and add. 
8. Add ¼ tsp each of salt and pepper.

                                                  Comparing slices, before & after pounding

9. Lay meat slices between sheets of waxed paper and pound until very thin, but be careful not to make holes.
10.  Cut twelve pieces of string; each 20 cm. long.

11.  Put ¼ cup of the egg-rice-onion filling on each slice.
12. Roll up and tie with string.

13. Mix together flour and ½ tsp each of salt and pepper.  Put into a plastic bag.

14. Heat large sauté pan with 2 tbsp butter. 
15. Shake a roll in the flour, then put in sauté pan.  Do the same with all the rest.
16. Brown gently on all sides.

17.  Mix together sour cream and vegetable stock.
18. Pour over the meat.  Cover pan and cook at lowest heat for 30 minutes. 

19. To reheat, cover pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.  (I added cooked Syrni Halushky to the sauté pan and reheated both together.)

20. To garnish, sprinkle with chopped parsley.