Top 4 Eastern European Beef Dishes

Similar to a goulash, chashushuli is a hearty beef and tomato stew hailing from Georgia. The stew is typically made with a combination of beef (sometimes veal or pork), tomatoes, onions, water or meat broth, garlic, and a generous amount of spices and herbs such as basil, chili pepper, parsley, fenugreek, summer savory, and bay leaves, yielding a highly aromatic and flavor-packed dish. Chashushuli is considered a version of another traditional Georgian beef stew called ostri, which uses almost all of the same ingredients as chashushuli, but it also contains coriander seeds and involves a different method of preparation. When preparing chashushuli, the meat needs to be fried before it is mixed with the rest of the ingredients and stewed, whereas the preparation of ostri requires no pre-cooking of the meat and everything is cooked in one pot from the beginning. Spicy and filling, the stew is typically served hot with Georgian bread such as shoti and a glass of fine Saperavi wine.Expand

When it first appeared in the mid-19th-century Russia, beef Stroganoff was a dish made out of lightly floured beef cubes that have been sautéed and cooked in a simple sauce made from stock and mustard with only a small amount of sour cream. The origin of the dish is unclear, but it is most likely linked to a French chef—or a French-trained chef—working for the Stroganoff family. Although Russian in origin, the dish is strongly influenced by the French style of cooking—this is most obviously seen in the way the beef is cut, in either cubes or strips. The first known recipe appeared in Elena Molokhovets’s A Gift to Young Housewives, published in 1871. Since then, the dish has had major alterations. The beef is still cut in strips, but the sauce is much richer; with sliced mushrooms and onions that are cooked with beef stock and thickened a bit with sour cream that is only stirred in at the end. The dish is traditionally served with potato straws, but is often served with either rice pilav, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.Expand

Chakapuli is a popular Georgian stew consisting of either beef or lamb meat, unripe sour plums, onions, green peppers, white wine, and herbs and seasonings such as tarragon, coriander, garlic, and salt. It is especially popular during spring, when the plums are still unripe. Chakapuli is often served during the feast of Orthodox Easter, and it is recommended to serve it hot with Georgian bread on the side.Expand

Khashlama is a straightforward and traditional meat dish originating from the Caucasus region. Although time-consuming, the dish is made by simply boiling large chunks of meat, usually beef or lamb, in hot water. The traditional version of this famous dish does not include other ingredients, except a few spices, making the boiled pieces of meat the star of the dish. Because of this, khashlama contains only the finest meat cuts available. The origins of the dish believe to be in the Georgian Kakheti region, where it is regarded as a regional signature dish. However, it is also widely popular in the neighboring Armenia, causing disputes over the true origin of the dish. Traditionally, khashlama is prepared on an open fire, slowly, until the meat is perfectly tender. It is commonly flavored with onions, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Because it is rather time-consuming, the dish is usually served on special occasions, and it is a common staple of supra, a traditional Georgian feast. Boiled pieces of meat are commonly served hot and garnished with a generous amount of coarse salt and chopped parsley.Expand