Brzi Rinflajš i Starinski Sos od Mirođije
Брзи ринфлајш и старински сос од мирођије·(bur-zee reen-fly-sh ee stah-reen-skee sos od mee-roh-jee-yeh)
Nedeljni Ručak: The Sacred Sunday Supper
If you grew up in a Balkan household, you know the holy trinity of Sunday lunch: soup, sauce, and meat. Rinflajš is a masterclass in grandmotherly ingenuity—pulling the meltingly tender beef and root vegetables from the morning's soup pot and serving them smothered in a bright, sweet-and-sour dill sauce. This quick adaptation uses a pressure cooker to extract that same deeply gelatinous, marrow-rich perfection in under an hour. The secret to the old-school flavor lies entirely in the sauce: bloom the fresh dill directly in a pale white roux, and thin it out with a ladle of the hot, fresh beef broth.
Ingredients
- bone-in beef short ribs2 1/2 lb
- yellow onion1 large
- carrots4 large
- parsnips2 med
- celeriac1 small
- yellow potatoes1 1/2 lb
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- black peppercorns1 tsp
- water8 cup
- pork lard2 tbsp
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- fresh dill1 cup
- whole milk1 cup
- hot beef broth1 cup
- garlic1 small clove
- white vinegar1 tbsp
- granulated white sugar1 tsp
- white pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Char the onion.
Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function and sear the onion halves cut-side down on the dry insert until deeply blackened to give the broth its authentic golden color.
- 02
Pressure cook the meat and vegetables.
Turn off the sauté function, add the beef, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, potatoes, kosher salt, peppercorns, and water, then cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- 03
Separate the broth from the feast.
Allow a ten-minute natural release, then carefully transfer the tender meat and root vegetables to a warm platter, reserving the liquid.
- 04
Build a white roux.
In a medium saucepan, melt the lard over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour for two minutes, ensuring it stays entirely pale without taking on any brown color.
- 05
Bloom the dill.
Toss the chopped fresh dill and minced garlic directly into the hot fat and flour for sixty seconds to aggressively release the herb's essential oils.
- 06
Whisk in the liquids.
Slowly stream in the cold milk while whisking vigorously to prevent lumps, followed by a cup of the hot, freshly reserved beef broth.
- 07
Balance the sweet and sour.
Simmer until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a rich gravy, then remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt, and white pepper.
- 08
Serve it family-style.
Smash the soft potatoes on your plate, pull apart the incredibly tender beef, and drown absolutely everything in the warm dill sauce.
Notes
Do not brown the roux.
The defining characteristic of this sauce is that it's cooked "na belo" (on the white). If the flour takes on color, you lose the signature pale green hue and delicate flavor.
Embrace the fat.
While unsalted butter or a neutral oil will technically work, rendered pork lard is the undisputed secret to unlocking the true, nostalgic flavor of a Balkan grandmother's kitchen.
Don't waste the extra broth.
You'll have plenty of gelatinous beef broth left over in the pressure cooker. Strain it and serve it as a first course with a handful of noodles.
From Cook Balkan in America.