45 MINSMAINSBEEF

Košické Rezne (Obrátené Rezne)

My absolute death row meal when made by my mom, tender beef eye of round hammered into breadcrumbs, dipped in egg, crisp-fried, and slow-braised in rich tomato-onion gravy, served with savory onion-toasted tarhoňa (or pearl couscous / fregola).

YIELD4 Portions
PREP25 mins
COOK1.5 hrs

Ingredients

Beef Cutlets & Reverse Breading (Obrátené Rezne)

  • 600 g–700 g Beef eye of round (falošná sviečková), sliced into 4 cutlets
  • 120 g Fine dry breadcrumbs (strúhanka)
  • 2–3 Large eggs, thoroughly beaten with a pinch of salt
  • 8 g Fine sea salt
  • 3 g Freshly ground black pepper
  • 60 g Pork lard or neutral oil (for pan frying)

Braised Tomato Pan Gravy

  • 1 Large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 30 g Double concentrated tomato paste (paradajkový pretlak)
  • 25 g Unsalted butter or lard
  • 700 ml–800 ml Rich hot beef stock (or water)
  • 1 g Ground sweet paprika
  • To taste: Fine sea salt & black pepper

Savory Onion-Toasted Tarhoňa (or US Substitutes)

  • 350 g Dried egg drop pasta (tarhoňa) — if unavailable in the US, pearl couscous or fregola work as a 1:1 substitute
  • 1 Small yellow onion, very finely diced
  • 30 g Pork lard or unsalted butter
  • 550 ml–600 ml Hot beef or vegetable stock
  • 4 g Fine sea salt

To Serve

  • Crisp pickled gherkins (kyslé uhorky)

Method

  1. Reverse Bread Cutlets: Season beef slices generously with salt and black pepper. Scatter breadcrumbs over the board and meat. Using a meat mallet, vigorously pound the cutlets directly into the breadcrumbs, flipping and pressing so the crumbs are deeply embedded and the cutlets thin to roughly 5 mm.
  2. Dip & Fry: Dip each breadcrumb-hammered cutlet into beaten egg. Melt lard in a wide, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry cutlets for 2–3 minutes per side until the egg crust puffs and turns golden brown. Transfer seared cutlets to a plate.
  3. Build Gravy Base: Lower the pan heat to medium and add butter or lard. Add diced onion and sauté for 5–6 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the tomato paste and sweet paprika, frying for 1–2 minutes to caramelize and remove raw acidity.
  4. Slow Braise: Lay the fried cutlets back into the pan. Pour in hot stock until the meat is nearly submerged. Cover tightly with a lid, reduce heat to low, and slow braise for 70–90 minutes until meltingly tender and the breadcrumbs have naturally thickened the broth into a rich, glossy gravy.
  5. Cook the Tarhoňa (or Pearl Couscous / Fregola): In a separate saucepan, melt lard or butter over medium heat. Add finely diced onion and sauté until translucent. Add raw tarhoňa (or pearl couscous / fregola) and toast, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until most beads turn a rich nutty golden brown. Pour in hot stock (it will steam vigorously) and salt. Cover tightly, turn burner to lowest setting for 10–12 minutes until liquid is absorbed, remove from heat, and let steam covered for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
  6. Plate & Serve: Spoon a generous bed of onion-toasted tarhoňa onto warm plates. Rest the braised beef cutlet on top, ladle over the rich tomato pan gravy, and serve alongside cold, crunchy pickled gherkins.
Chef's Tip: Tarhoňa can be difficult to source in standard US grocery stores. Israeli pearl couscous or Sardinian fregola are perfect 1:1 substitutes—toasting them in fat with finely diced onions before simmering gives the exact same nutty aroma, bouncy texture, and sauce-clinging power.