Cuisine: The Polish Palate
•
Course: Main Courses
•
Diet: High-Protein

Bitki Wołowe w Sosie Pomidorowo-Koperkowym (Braised Beef Steaks in Tomato & Dill Gravy)

Fork-tender, pounded beef steaks braised low and slow in a rich, deeply savoury tomato and root vegetable pan sauce, finished with handfuls of fresh dill.
Prep time 25m
Temp 160°C (320°F)
Cook time 2h 10m
Rest time 10m
Total 2h 45m
Yield 4
Per serving:
458 kcal
20g Carbs
62g Protein
13g Fat
By Adam Dworak

Brilliant!

You cooked this today. How did it turn out?

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Ingredients

  • 800 g
    Beef Topside
    Beef Topside
  • 40 g
    Plain Flour
    Plain Flour
  • 30 g
    Clarified Butter
    Clarified Butter
  • 250 g
    Brown Onion
    Brown Onion
  • 200 g
    Carrots
    Carrots
  • 50 g
    Tomato Puree
    Tomato Puree
  • 3 pcs
    Garlic cloves
    Garlic cloves
  • 3 pcs
    Bay Leaves
    Bay Leaves
  • 4 pcs
    Allspice Berries
    Allspice Berries
  • 600 ml
    Water
    Water
  • 12 g
    Sea Salt
    Sea Salt
  • 4 g
    Black Pepper
    Black Pepper
  • 30 g
    Fresh Dill
    Fresh Dill

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Kitchen Kit

  • Meat Mallet
  • Heavy Dutch Oven
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Chef's Knife
bitki wolowe, przygotowanie

Method

  1. Prep the meat. Slice the beef against the grain into 1.5cm thick medallions. Lay them on a board, cover with baking parchment, and bash them with a meat mallet until roughly 5mm thick.
  2. Season and dredge. Take the 12g of fine sea salt and use exactly half of it (6g) to season the beef steaks on both sides, along with all the coarse black pepper. Dredge the steaks in the plain flour, shaking off any excess.
  3. Sear the beef. Heat the clarified butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches to avoid crowding the pan, cooking until deeply browned on both sides (about 2 to 3 minutes per side). Remove the beef to a resting plate. Do not wipe the pot.
  4. Sweat the aromatics. Tip the chopped onions and sliced carrots straight into the residual beef fat. Sweat for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions soften, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned, floury bits from the bottom of the pot. Chuck in the minced garlic, bay leaves, and allspice berries, stirring for another minute until aromatic.
  5. Cook out the tomato. Stir in the tomato purée. Let it fry aggressively for 2 minutes to cook out the raw, tinny flavour and deepen in colour to a rusty brick red.
  6. Deglaze and braise. Pour in the water (600ml), scraping the bottom of the pot vigorously to release the fond. Stir in the remaining half of the salt (6g). Return the beef and any resting juices to the pot. The liquid should just barely cover the meat. Bring to a rapid boil, then drop the heat to the lowest setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 90 to 120 minutes.
  7. The finish. Once the beef yields entirely to a fork, remove the pot from the heat. Stir through the freshly chopped dill. Taste the sauce—it should perfectly coat the back of a spoon. Let the pot rest for 10 minutes before serving so the flavours can settle.
Chef's Note & Storage
Fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken considerably when chilled; gently reheat in a pan with a small splash of water to loosen the gravy.
Pot of Bitki Wolowe in tomato & dill sauce

The Art of the Braise

In the Polish culinary lexicon, "Bitki" derives from the word bić, meaning to beat or pound. It is a brilliant, working-class technique designed to take lean, hard-working cuts of beef—like topside or silverside—and physically break down their muscle fibres before subjecting them to a long, slow braise. When done properly, the meat doesn't just become tender; it structuraly gives up, yielding to a fork with almost zero resistance. It is quintessential Sunday dinner fare, demanding patience but very little active labour.

CHEF'S SECRET: Do not rush the sear, and let the flour dredge do double duty. The flour left stuck to the bottom of the pan after searing the beef creates an instant roux when you tip in the aromatics. This browned flour is the architectural foundation of a proper sos własny (pan sauce), giving it a signature velvety cling without the need for artificial thickeners later.

❖

Building the Tomato-Dill Foundation

While a classic pan sauce relies solely on beef juices and onions, this variation leans on a heavy dose of tomato and fresh dill. The tomato purée provides necessary acidity to cut through the rich beef fat and helps chemically tenderise the meat as it braises. The carrots bring an earthy sweetness that balances the acidity, while the dill—which must only ever be stirred in off the heat at the very end—adds a sharp, fresh herbal brightness that wakes the whole heavy pot up.

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The Cook & Keeper Pairing System

Complete the Meal

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Essential Pairings

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Tłuczone Ziemniaki z Koperkiem i Masłem (Traditional Polish Dill Mashed Potatoes)

Tłuczone Ziemniaki z Koperkiem i Masłem (Traditional Polish Dill Mashed Potatoes)

Bright Accents

The key to palate balance. Elements that introduce texture, acidity, and vital freshness to the plate.

Mizeria

Mizeria
Surówka z Kiszonej Kapusty (Sauerkraut Slaw)

Surówka z Kiszonej Kapusty (Sauerkraut Slaw)
Kapusta Zasmażana (Polish Fried Sauerkraut)

Kapusta Zasmażana (Polish Fried Sauerkraut)

Elevating Finishes

The culinary final touch. Condiments, textural accents, and paired beverages that seamlessly turn a dish into a complete dining experience.

Fresh Polish Sunday Kompot

Fresh Polish Sunday Kompot
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Bitki Wołowe w Sosie Pomidorowo-Koperkowym (Braised Beef Steaks in Tomato & Dill Gravy)
Cuisine:The Polish Palate
Course:Main Courses
Diet:High-Protein

Bitki Wołowe w Sosie Pomidorowo-Koperkowym (Braised Beef Steaks in Tomato & Dill Gravy)

By Adam Dworak

Fork-tender, pounded beef steaks braised low and slow in a rich, deeply savoury tomato and root vegetable pan sauce, finished with handfuls of fresh dill.

Prep 25m
Temp 160°C
Cook 2h 10m
Rest 10m
Total 2h 45m
Yield 4
bitki wolowe, przygotowanie

Kitchen Kit

  • •Meat Mallet
  • •Heavy Dutch Oven
  • •Wooden Spoon
  • •Chef's Knife
Per serving:
458 kcal
20g Carbs
62g Protein
13g Fat

Ingredients

  • 800 g Beef Topside
  • 40 g Plain Flour
  • 30 g Clarified Butter
  • 250 g Brown Onion
  • 200 g Carrots
  • 50 g Tomato Puree
  • 3 pcs Garlic cloves
  • 3 pcs Bay Leaves
  • 4 pcs Allspice Berries
  • 600 ml Water
  • 12 g Sea Salt
  • 4 g Black Pepper
  • 30 g Fresh Dill

Method

Step-by-step instructions.

Chef's Note:
Fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken considerably when chilled; gently reheat in a pan with a small splash of water to loosen the gravy.
Pot of Bitki Wolowe in tomato & dill sauce
  1. Prep the meat. Slice the beef against the grain into 1.5cm thick medallions. Lay them on a board, cover with baking parchment, and bash them with a meat mallet until roughly 5mm thick.
  2. Season and dredge. Take the 12g of fine sea salt and use exactly half of it (6g) to season the beef steaks on both sides, along with all the coarse black pepper. Dredge the steaks in the plain flour, shaking off any excess.
  3. Sear the beef. Heat the clarified butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches to avoid crowding the pan, cooking until deeply browned on both sides (about 2 to 3 minutes per side). Remove the beef to a resting plate. Do not wipe the pot.
  4. Sweat the aromatics. Tip the chopped onions and sliced carrots straight into the residual beef fat. Sweat for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions soften, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned, floury bits from the bottom of the pot. Chuck in the minced garlic, bay leaves, and allspice berries, stirring for another minute until aromatic.
  5. Cook out the tomato. Stir in the tomato purée. Let it fry aggressively for 2 minutes to cook out the raw, tinny flavour and deepen in colour to a rusty brick red.
  6. Deglaze and braise. Pour in the water (600ml), scraping the bottom of the pot vigorously to release the fond. Stir in the remaining half of the salt (6g). Return the beef and any resting juices to the pot. The liquid should just barely cover the meat. Bring to a rapid boil, then drop the heat to the lowest setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 90 to 120 minutes.
  7. The finish. Once the beef yields entirely to a fork, remove the pot from the heat. Stir through the freshly chopped dill. Taste the sauce—it should perfectly coat the back of a spoon. Let the pot rest for 10 minutes before serving so the flavours can settle.

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History

The Art of the Braise

In the Polish culinary lexicon, "Bitki" derives from the word bić, meaning to beat or pound. It is a brilliant, working-class technique designed to take lean, hard-working cuts of beef—like topside or silverside—and physically break down their muscle fibres before subjecting them to a long, slow braise. When done properly, the meat doesn't just become tender; it structuraly gives up, yielding to a fork with almost zero resistance. It is quintessential Sunday dinner fare, demanding patience but very little active labour.

CHEF'S SECRET: Do not rush the sear, and let the flour dredge do double duty. The flour left stuck to the bottom of the pan after searing the beef creates an instant roux when you tip in the aromatics. This browned flour is the architectural foundation of a proper sos własny (pan sauce), giving it a signature velvety cling without the need for artificial thickeners later.

❖

Building the Tomato-Dill Foundation

While a classic pan sauce relies solely on beef juices and onions, this variation leans on a heavy dose of tomato and fresh dill. The tomato purée provides necessary acidity to cut through the rich beef fat and helps chemically tenderise the meat as it braises. The carrots bring an earthy sweetness that balances the acidity, while the dill—which must only ever be stirred in off the heat at the very end—adds a sharp, fresh herbal brightness that wakes the whole heavy pot up.