Hussar-Style Beef in Mushroom Wine Sauce (Poland)

My daughter had an interesting history project learning about the Polish hussars.  They were an elite regimen in the Polish cavalry in the Crown Kingdom of Poland between the 16th and 18th centuries.  It was actually exiled Hungarians who introduced hussar horsemen to the Polish military.  At first, the regiments were small and only made up of exiled Hungarians.  They fought as mercenaries.  The regiments expanded as more and more Poles joined.  The Polish hussars came into their full glory in the 1570s, during the height of the powerful Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The hussars wore huge wings made up of a wooden frame and feathers from eagles, ostriches, swans or geese.  The hussars wore the wings because they made a loud noise which made the enemy think that cavalry was much larger than it actually was.  The hussars’ primary strategy in battle was “the charge.”  They started slow and in a loose formation.  Then they gradually got faster and faster and moved in close formation when they charged through the enemy.  This battle tactic was successful for nearly 200 years.

This traditional beef roast bares the Hussar name.  It makes for a hearty main course, particular during the winter months.  The beauty of it is that with only salt, pepper, and onion, flavor has a spicy kick to it.  But before getting into the onion part of the dish, you must brown the roast.  After that, the roast is basically steamed in a casserole/Dutch oven on the stop top.

I think the reason that the roast has such a kick is because of the onion that eventually joins the roast after it has fully cooked is steamed rather than roasted or sautéed.  Nope, no chili pepper, just onion.  You are supposed to finely grate it.  I used my hand grater to do the job, all the while trying to hold back those onion-induced tears.  I noticed that the grated onion was swimming in onion juice.  I used it all of it in the dish, giving it a big punch.  [Note:  If you don’t want that punch, just dice the onion finely and saute until translucent.]  You mix the onion (+ juice) with fine bread crumbs, add in some butter, salt, and pepper, and stuff the roast with the mixture.  But how?  Cut slices–but not all the way through–and spoon some of the onion stuffing in between the slices.

While the dish is supposed to be served with the “pan” juices, I thought mushrooms would add a nice dimension.  After all, what’s beef without mushrooms?!  There is a go-to creamy mushroom sauce in Polish cooking, so I thought it would be just the thing.

It was a little too thick when I made it, so beware of that possibility.  Thin it out with extra liquid–even water.  Dress the finished roast with some of the mushroom sauce and serve the rest in a gravy boat.

 

This dish is not a light dish by any stretch of the imagination.  Think:  Hussars, the Winged Horsemen.

Print Recipe
Hussar-Style Beef in Mushroom Wine Sauce
Copyright ©2017 HollyTrail.com
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Polish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 1/2 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
For the Roast
  • 3-4 pounds beef (rump or chuck roast)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • flour for dredging
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for browning roast)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 medium onions, finely grated, keeping any juices (for a sweeter and milder flavor, chop finely and saute in olive oil)
For the Mushroom Sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour, divided
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 cup sour cream
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Polish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 1/2 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
For the Roast
  • 3-4 pounds beef (rump or chuck roast)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • flour for dredging
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for browning roast)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 medium onions, finely grated, keeping any juices (for a sweeter and milder flavor, chop finely and saute in olive oil)
For the Mushroom Sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour, divided
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
Make the Roast
  1. Pound roast with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat frying pan with oil on medium high heat. Brown roast on all sides.
  2. Place in a Dutch oven or casserole that can be used on the stove top and is oven proof. Pour water over roast, cover, and cook on low heat for 2 hours or until tender. If necessary, add small amounts of water if the liquid has evaporated.
  3. A few minutes before the roast is ready, combine bread crumbs, butter, and onion (grated with juices or sauteed).
  4. When the roast has completed cooking, take off the heat. Place roast on a cutting board, and cut slices ¾ of the way down the roast at ½ inch intervals. In between each slice, stuff the bread crumb mixture, distributing evenly among the slices. Keeping its shape, carefully place the roast back into the same pot on top of the drippings. Add about 1 cup of the chopped mushrooms to the pot, cover, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Remove the lid and place pot in oven for 10 minutes.
Make the Mushroom Sauce
  1. Saute remaining mushrooms in the butter until browned around the edges. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the flour into the sour cream with a fork. Set aside.
  2. When the mushrooms are ready, remove pan from heat and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the flour, stirring into the mushrooms. Then stir in white wine. Add sour cream and return pan to the heat. Bring the mixture just to a boil. If too thick, add wine, water, or stock to reach the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Place roast on platter and pour some of the mushroom sauce over top. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat.
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Hussar-Style Beef in Mushroom Wine Sauce

Print Recipe
Hussar-Style Beef in Mushroom Wine Sauce
Copyright ©2017 HollyTrail.com
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Polish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 1/2 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
For the Roast
  • 3-4 pounds beef (rump or chuck roast)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • flour for dredging
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for browning roast)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 medium onions, finely grated, keeping any juices (for a sweeter and milder flavor, chop finely and saute in olive oil)
For the Mushroom Sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour, divided
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 cup sour cream
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Polish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 1/2 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
For the Roast
  • 3-4 pounds beef (rump or chuck roast)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • flour for dredging
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for browning roast)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 medium onions, finely grated, keeping any juices (for a sweeter and milder flavor, chop finely and saute in olive oil)
For the Mushroom Sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour, divided
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
Make the Roast
  1. Pound roast with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat frying pan with oil on medium high heat. Brown roast on all sides.
  2. Place in a Dutch oven or casserole that can be used on the stove top and is oven proof. Pour water over roast, cover, and cook on low heat for 2 hours or until tender. If necessary, add small amounts of water if the liquid has evaporated.
  3. A few minutes before the roast is ready, combine bread crumbs, butter, and onion (grated with juices or sauteed).
  4. When the roast has completed cooking, take off the heat. Place roast on a cutting board, and cut slices ¾ of the way down the roast at ½ inch intervals. In between each slice, stuff the bread crumb mixture, distributing evenly among the slices. Keeping its shape, carefully place the roast back into the same pot on top of the drippings. Add about 1 cup of the chopped mushrooms to the pot, cover, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Remove the lid and place pot in oven for 10 minutes.
Make the Mushroom Sauce
  1. Saute remaining mushrooms in the butter until browned around the edges. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the flour into the sour cream with a fork. Set aside.
  2. When the mushrooms are ready, remove pan from heat and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the flour, stirring into the mushrooms. Then stir in white wine. Add sour cream and return pan to the heat. Bring the mixture just to a boil. If too thick, add wine, water, or stock to reach the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Place roast on platter and pour some of the mushroom sauce over top. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat.
Share this Recipe

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