Braised beef steaks with onions (Bitki wołowe)

1. Cut the beef across the grain into 1.5 cm slices, flatten them slightly under cling film with a meat mallet, season with salt and pepper and dust with flour (keep a spoonful of flour aside for the sauce).

2. Heat half the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan and sear the slices over high heat for 2 minutes per side until nicely browned; lift them out.

3. In the remaining oil, cook the thinly sliced onions over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and golden, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

4. Return the meat, pour over the hot stock, add the allspice and bay leaves, cover and braise over low heat for 1-1.5 hours, until the meat is tender.

5. Whisk the sour cream smooth with the reserved flour and a little hot sauce, pour it into the pan and boil for another 5 minutes until the sauce thickens; adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

6. Serve with boiled potatoes or buckwheat and a beetroot salad or pickled cucumbers.

Tip: Slow braising is the key: the connective tissue of the leg only turns gelatinous with long, gentle simmering, which makes the meat tender and the sauce silky.