Bitki wolowe is a traditional Polish dish of beef steaks cooked with fried onions in a mushroom sauce. Easy to make all it requires is some time to simmer away with some warm spices!
What Is Bitki Wolowe?
Who invented the Polish bitki wolowe is a question that may never be answered. Beef steaks are prolific in almost every culture on the planet, with each adding their own local influences.
Most cultures will serve the steaks with cooked onions, fried potatoes or chips, onions, tomatoes, mustard sauce, or more.
The Polish version of the beef steak is called bitki wolowe, and is made by frying beef steaks with onions and slow cooking them in a mustard sauce.
When cooked with mushrooms, the dish is called bitki wołowe z grzybami or bitki wołowe z pieczarkami.
How To Make Polish Beef Steaks? Best Bitki Wolowe Recipe
Cut the beef into ½-inch thick steaks. You can also buy they from the local butcher who will cut it for you.
Coat the beef steaks with salt and pepper and refrigerate overnight. If you can’t refrigerate overnight, try to do it for at least 2 hours.

Fry the steaks with lard till they turn golden brown on both sides and move to a deep pot.
Fry onions with allspice berries and bay leaves till the onions are golden-brown and add to the post with the steaks.


Add a cup of boiling water to the pot along with 1 tsp of mustard. Cover and allow to cook till the steaks soften. This should take about an hour.
Remove the steaks from the sauce, blend the sauce, and add the steaks back in. Serve the juicy beef steaks with kopytka and red cabbage salad!


Tips For Making Bitki Wolowe
- The longer the steaks are refrigerated before cooking, the better they taste!
- You can add more mustard to the sauce if you like!
- Bitki wołowe goes best with kopytka, kluski śląskie, potatoes, and red cabbage salad.
- It also goes really well with ogorki kiszone or mizeria salad.
- When cooked with mushrooms, the dish is called bitki wołowe z grzybami.
- For a thicker sauce, add some sour cream.
- If you don’t have time to make kopytka, serve bitki wolowe with groats, pasta, or plain white rice and creamy peas and carrot salad.

FAQs About Polish Beef Steaks Recipe
How To Pronounce Bitki Wolowe?
Bitki wolowe are pronounced beet-key vo-woh-veh.
What Is The Difference Between Bitki Wolowe And Zrazy Zawijane?
Bitki wolowe is made by cooking beef steaks with fried onion, mustard and spices in a gravy. Zrazy zawijane is made with similar ingredients. But, for zrazy, the beef steaks that are stuffed with fried onions, bacon, and mustard before cooking it in a gravy.
Which Cut Of Beef Should I Use?
Leg or shoulder meat becomes the most tender. So the best cut of beef to use is the tender and juicy rib-eye. But you can also use filet mignon or sirloin for the bitki wolowe recipe.
Do I Have To Use Pork Lard?
Cooking the beef steaks with pork lard makes it taste better, but you can also use any good cooking oil or olive oil if you need to.
Do I Have To Blend The Sauce?
It is not essential to blend the sauce, but if you do, it gives it a smooth texture.
I Don’t Like Mustard. Can I Use Anything Else Instead?
If you don’t like mustard, use soy sauce in it’s place. Or you can replace the mustard with garlic paste.
How To Store Bitki Wolowe?
Transfer the leftover bitki wolowe to an airtight container or a pot with a lid and store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat before serving. It can also be stored in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
Polish Beef Steaks Bitki Wolowe Recipe
Polish Beef Steaks Bitki Wolowe Recipe

Bitki wolowe is a traditional Polish dish of beef steaks cooked with fried onions in a mushroom sauce. Easy to make, all it requires is some time to simmer away on the stove with some warm spices!
Ingredients
- 21oz (600g) of beef
- 1 tsp of salt
- ¼ tsp of black pepper
- 1 tsp of pork lard or oil
- 2 onions
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 allspice berries
- 1 tsp of mustard
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
- Cut beef into ½'' (1-1,5cm) thick steaks.
- Coat the steaks with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 2 hours, may be overnight.
- Peel and dice onions into half-moons.
- Melt pork lard on the pan. When it's very hot, fry the steaks for a few minutes on each side (they should change the color to golden/brownish). Place the steaks in the pot.
- Using the same oil, fry the onion, bay leaves, and allspice berries. When the onion changes color to golden/brownish, add everything to the steaks.
- Fill the pan with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.
- Pour the water into the pot.
- Also add 1 tsp of mustard, and mix.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for about 1 hour, until the steaks are soft.
- Discard the allspice berries and bay leaves.
- Separate the steaks from the sauce, then blend the sauce.
- Add the steaks back to the sauce. Serve warm!
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- Allspice Whole - Ziele Angielskie
- Bay Leaf - Liść Laurowy
- Iodized Table Salt - Sól
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 1224mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 14g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
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