90 MINSMAINSBEEFPORK

Španielske Vtáčky s Ryžou

Tender beef top round rolls stuffed with bacon, pickled gherkins, boiled eggs, and sausages, braised on the stovetop in a rich mustard pan gravy.

YIELD4 Portions (4 Beef Birds + Rice)
PREP30 mins
COOK75 mins

Ingredients

Beef Rolls (Vtáčky)

  • 600 g Beef top round or sirloin (hovädzie zadné / roštenka), cut into 4 equal thin slices (~150 g each)
  • 30 g Traditional yellow or Dijon mustard (plnotučná horčica)
  • 4 slices Smoked slab bacon (údená slanina), cut into thick batons
  • 2 Sweet-sour pickled gherkins (kyslé uhorky), halved lengthwise into spears
  • 2 Hard-boiled large eggs, quartered lengthwise
  • 1–2 Quality frankfurters or Spiš sausages (párky / klobáska), halved into batons
  • 30 g All-Purpose (AP) flour (for dusting)
  • 6 g Fine sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
  • Kitchen twine or wooden toothpicks (for securing)

Braising Sauce & Gravy

  • 40 g Rendered pork lard (bravčová masť)
  • 2 Medium yellow onions, finely diced
  • 15 g Traditional yellow mustard
  • 600 ml–700 ml Rich beef bone stock (hot)
  • 20 ml Pickled gherkin brine (uhorkový nálev)
  • 15 g Unsalted butter (cold, cubed, to mount)
  • 2 Dried bay leaves
  • 3 Whole allspice berries

Steamed Butter Rice (Dusená Ryža)

  • 300 g Long-grain or medium-grain white rice (rinsed and drained)
  • 20 g Rendered pork lard or unsalted butter
  • 1/2 Small yellow onion (whole or finely minced)
  • 450 ml Boiling water or light stock
  • 5 g Fine sea salt

Method

  1. Prep & Pound Beef: Place beef slices between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound evenly with a mallet to a uniform thickness of 4–5 mm. Season both sides with salt and black pepper, then spread one side of each steak with a thin layer of mustard.
  2. Fill & Roll: Near one edge of each prepared beef slice, arrange a bacon baton, gherkin spear, sausage stick, and 2 egg quarters. Roll tightly into a compact cylinder, tucking the sides inward. Secure firmly with kitchen twine or toothpicks. Lightly dust the outer surface of each roll in AP flour.
  3. Hard Sear: Melt pork lard in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the beef rolls for 2 minutes on each side until deeply browned and caramelized. Transfer to a plate.
  4. Build Gravy Base: Lower heat to medium. In the same fat, sauté diced onions with a pinch of salt for 10–12 minutes until deep amber-brown. Stir in 15 g mustard and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Stovetop Braise: Deglaze the pot with hot beef stock, scraping up browned fond. Add bay leaves and allspice berries. Return seared beef rolls and resting juices to the pot. Cover tightly, turn heat to low, and simmer gently for 65–75 minutes until the beef is fork-tender.
  6. Cook Butter Rice: In a separate saucepan, melt 20 g lard or butter over medium heat. Add rinsed rice and onion; sauté for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Pour in 450 ml boiling water and 5 g salt. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat to bare minimum, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let steam covered for 10 minutes without lifting the lid. Fluff with a fork.
  7. Finish Sauce: Remove cooked beef rolls and snip off twine. Discard bay leaves and allspice. Whisk a splash of pickle brine into the simmering pan sauce, lower heat, and mount with cold butter cubes until velvety and glossy.
  8. Plate & Serve: Halve the beef rolls crosswise to showcase the mosaic filling. Serve over steamed butter rice, ladled generously with the hot pan gravy.
Chef's Tip: Dusting the rolled beef lightly in flour before searing does double duty: it locks in a rich Maillard crust and slowly thickens the braising liquor into a glossy pan sauce as the onions break down, eliminating the need for heavy starches at the end.