Dishes to Wow the Women

Our readers already know that, in Russia, March 8 is the national holiday commonly known as “Women’s Day.” It is a day when men show the women in their lives appreciation through gifts of chocolate and flowers.

This day is pleasant for women for another reason too. A large part of Russia’s male population considers housework to be an exclusively female occupation. Cooking dinner, taking out the trash – this is not the work of a “real man.” But even the most die-hard principles are relaxed on March 8. On this day, Russian men make a touching effort to do the housework for their wives – to wash the floors and do the dishes. The culmination of all this is the preparation of dinner, and not just any food, but some sort of special recipe. For example, meat with prunes – served either as a main meal or a cold appetizer (as it was often presented in Soviet restaurants). This dish is not simple to prepare, but it is a great way to prove to the women that men do know how to cook after all. If they want to, that is.

Here, we offer three different recipes for preparing meat with prunes. So, men, put on your aprons, and ladies, forget about the cholesterol and dig in. You deserve it!

– Yelena Utenkova

Beef with Prunes

Chop and salt the beef, sprinkle with grated cheese and arrange the prunes (peeled and soaked) in a single layer on the beef. Roll up the meat and tie with string. Fry on both sides and remove the string. Place in a pan and add a small amount of meat bouillon, prune broth and vinegar (don’t overdo it), then stew. No need to measure the ingredients, you can eyeball the proportions to your particular taste.

Pork with Prune Sauce

1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) meat

1/2 cup dry white wine

300 g (10.6 oz) prunes

1 tablespoon oil

100 g (3.5 oz) white bread crumbs, fried in oil

pepper, sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon and salt to taste

Wash a small cut of fresh pork, soak in cold water and place in a pan. Pour in the wine and half a cup of water. Add a little salt, along with the bay leaves and a pinch of pepper. Place on the stove and simmer, turning the meat often. Boil the prunes until soft, remove the pits, grind through a sieve, then mix with the breadcrumbs (fried in oil) and add a little sugar and cinnamon. Then drizzle the pork juices into the prune mixture, bring to a boil and pour over the sliced meat.

Pork with Prunes and Apples

Take the pork (preferably steamed – frozen and steamed pork differ considerably in taste). Shape into a flat cake, chop and add salt and pepper. Sprinkle on cinnamon. Wash and peel the apples, then remove their cores and cut into cubes. Take the prunes (remove pits if necessary and soak if dried), then pat dry and cut into pieces. Sprinkle the pork with ground cinnamon, then add the prunes and apples. Roll up the meat and tie with string or cotton thread. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in a frying pan and fry in vegetable oil until the meat gets a nice crust. Wrap the cutlets in foil, place in the oven and bake until the meat is ready.