Learn how to make a recipe that has been made for centuries. For instance, the Middle Ages offered many dishes that were considered a delicacy by some, but would not have been affordable by others due to their cost. One example is small songbirds like finches and sparrows. Due to their high price, it was more common for regular people to recreate these types of recipes and make them accessible by using cheap cuts of meat – ground beef and pounded thin top round – cooked in a delicious sauce. My recipe of “Blinde Vinken” (Blind Finches) allows you to easily make this at home with the proper proportions which will taste remarkably close to what they ate during those times!
After some time, eating songbirds was no longer legal in The Netherlands. From then, everyone started eating this version of it, and it is now one of the most popular meat dishes sold by butchers and grocery stores alike. However, it is s so easy to make it yourself, that even if you don’t live in The Netherlands, you don’t have to miss out on this delicious dish! The meat is a perfect combination of textures, between the thin outer layer which is browned to perfection, and the deliciously seasoned ground beef on the inside. Add to that the sauce, which is rich with the flavor of the beef, butter, and tomato paste.
Serve the blinde vinken together with some boiled potatoes and vegetables for a quintessential Dutch meal!
Blinde Vinken: Centuries-Old Dutch Recipe of Ground Beef Wrapped in Top Round
Lear to make a recipe has been common practice for centuries. For instance, the Middle Ages offered many dishes that were considered a delicacy by some, but would not have been affordable by others due to their cost. One example is small songbirds like finches and sparrows. Due to their high price, it was more common for regular people to recreate these types of recipes and make them accessible by using cheap cuts of meat - ground beef and pounded thin top round - cooked in a delicious sauce. My recipe of "Blinde Vinken" (Blind Finches) allows you to easily make this at home with the proper proportions which will taste remarkably close to what they ate during those times!
Crack your egg, and beat it together with the milk. Set aside.
Preparing the ground beef
Add the ground beef, parsley, sambal, nutmeg, and salt and pepper (to taste) to a bowl. Mix it all together, making sure everything is thoroughly combined.
Divide the ground beef into four even pieces, and roll them in logs.
Preparing the top round
You can ask your butcher to slice the top round, or you can slice it yourself, length-wise.
Put a thin slice between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound it out with a mallet. Make sure you don't end up with large holes/gaps in the meat.
Repeat for the other slices.
Assembling the blinde vinken
Lay the log of ground meat on the pounded-out top round, and fold over the sides.
Brush egg wash on the top round, and then roll it tightly around the ground beef.
Put it seam-down on a platter.
Repeat for the other three ground meat logs.
Using butcher twine, tie the blinde vink so it holds its shape while baking.
Watch the video for clear instructions on how to tie it.
Season the blinde vinken with salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking the blinde vinken
Melt butter in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Lay your blinde vinken in the pan, seam down.
Let them brown for several minutes.
You may have to do this in batches if your pan is not large enough.
Rotate the blinden vinken in the pan, until the outside is completely browned. Don't forget to brown the ends as well.
Remove the blinde vinken from the pan, and turn the heat down. Fry the tomato paste up a little bit, then add the beef stock, and scrape up any of the caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Turn the heat up, and bring the stock to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to a simmer, and add the blinde vinken. Cover the pan, and let them simmer for 30 minutes
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Hi.
It would be a nice feature if the recipe had an Imperial Units conversion. Some cooks don't use the metric system natively.
I do have that feature… been going through old recipes to adjust. This one now has imperial measurements.