Beef Azu - general principles and methods of preparation
Historically, Tatar cuisine has undergone many changes over the past centuries. Original at its core, it was enriched with new knowledge and food from neighbors. The lifestyle and conditions of this people led to the fact that the exchange of products brought in new recipes for dishes. Tatar cuisine offered its neighbors its recipes, which were instantly picked up and mastered due to practicality, rationality and accessibility.
Fried meat with a lot of fat is not typical for the cuisine of this people, hot dishes abound in boiled and stewed meat. One of these dishes is beef basics. Don’t be afraid of its name and distant origin, the real basics are just braised beef, horse meat or lamb with pickled cucumber. Tatars add potatoes and vegetables, all to taste, at will and necessarily with spices. It is a pity that the words do not convey the taste of the dish, otherwise you would have rushed to the market for meat, tomatoes and cucumbers in order to cook it just for dinner.
Beef Azu - Product Preparation
To prepare the basics, the meat of the leg or shoulder blade is taken from the beef, and it is freed from tendons and films. Cut across the fibers, then cut into small cubes along. It turns out a straw 3-4 cm long and 1 cm thick. As a rule, this dish is practically lean, it is separated from fat and fried in vegetable oil.
Beef Azu - cooking utensils
Traditionally, the preparation of Tatar food was associated with cooking or frying in a cauldron. Aza was also prepared in a cauldron, cast iron or pot. In some places, folk traditions have been preserved to this day, however, the technological 21st century has supplanted old equipment, replaced by new Teflon pans, alloy cauldrons and refractory glass pans. The cooking technology has not changed.
Beef Azu - the best recipes
Recipe 1: Potted Beef Azu
This dish is easily perceived by the body, not fatty, but quite satisfying. In addition, portioned pots will save you from having to use large pots or cauldrons. It is enough to cook the basics of beef in pots once, so that this recipe is forever registered in your kitchen.
Ingredients: beef (1 kg), pickles (2 pcs.), onions (2 pcs.), potatoes (3 large tubers), is there any other vegetable oil, mayonnaise, hot ketchup, pepper, salt.
Cooking method
Cut the beef into small strips, onions in small squares. In a pan, mix vegetable oil, water, salt and ketchup. Spread the meat and simmer. Put meat in pots, then cucumbers, cut into small cubes, straws, salt and pepper on top. Pour water on half the contents, spread mayonnaise and greens on top. An hour later, the delicious pots are ready!
Recipe 2: Azu with mushrooms and tomato sauce
Traditional Tatar azu is prepared according to almost one recipe. Mushrooms are a truly Russian addition. The Russian nation consists of inveterate mushroom pickers, and beef meat goes well with mushrooms, it would be a real crime not to try to attach this dietary component to low-fat beef with pickles.
Ingredients: beef (400g), champignons (200g) onion, barbecue sauce (4-5 tbsp. l.) vegetable oil, salt, parsley, cilantro, flour.
Cooking method
Cut the meat and mushrooms into slices, onions into thin half rings. We warm well the pan with oil, put the meat on it. Fry for 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour on the meat and mix. You can shake the pan well so that the flour is evenly distributed. Spread the onion, fry a little more and pour the sauce. Add mushrooms and salt, cover and simmer over low heat for another 20 minutes. Mushrooms should give liquid for the sauce, but if it is not enough, add a little water or broth. Let’s sweat a little under the lid, add greens. Hot Tazu in Tatar will perfectly quench your appetite, it is saturated, but not heavy, you can eat it as much as you want, fresh vegetables will be perfectly fit, by the way.
Recipe 3: Classic Beef Azu with Tomatoes
The dish is intended for passionate meat-eaters who prefer soft stewed beef with vegetables and heavy fried pork. This is a solid recipe for a large family with traditions, which gathered at the dining table to chat and eat. Or eat and chat - as you like best.
Ingredients: beef (1 kg), ghee (90g.), onions (3 pcs.), tomato puree, pickled cucumbers (300 gr.), potatoes (800 gr.), pepper, bay leaf, garlic, herbs.
Cooking method
Prepare tomato puree - sauté it for several minutes. Salt the meat, pepper, fry and add tomato puree with water. Stew under the lid over low heat. Separately, dry the flour and dilute it with broth from stewing meat. Peel the cucumbers, cut into strips. We pass the onion, sliced in half rings. Fry the potatoes, add to the onion, stand on low heat for another 10 minutes. We combine everything with meat, add pepper, bay leaf and simmer for another 20 minutes. Five minutes before cooking, add chopped tomato slices and chopped garlic. Do not forget to put chopped herbs and sour cream on the table. Hot, fragrant, solid azu, a real stronghold for a large family.
Beef Azu - tips from experienced chefs
- The recipe for beef basics for children or those who need diet food can be facilitated - do not fry potatoes, but cook it separately until cooked and add to the dish 5 minutes before the end of cooking.
- More vegetables - more nutrients. Peel sweet peppers and cut into strips. Send it stewed with meat for another 10 minutes.
- The younger the meat, the less time it takes to cook it. If the dish is prepared from veal tenderloin, meat can be poured with ready-made sauce immediately after frying, add all the ingredients and boil.
- For cooking beef in pots, mayonnaise and ketchup can be replaced with sour cream and tomato juice. Tasty and healthy.
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