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beef salad

Festive Beef Salad

Beef salad is a traditional Romanian festive side dish present on the dinner table at all major holidays. Easy to make and looking impressive, it will be the centerpiece on you festive table!
5 from 30 votes
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Prep Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Romanian
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

  • 6-7 large potatoes
  • 4-5 carrots
  • 1 celeriac
  • 2-3 parsnips
  • 300 g peas
  • 500 g diced beef
  • 1 jar mayonnaise (small, about 250 g)
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • 1 jar pickled gherkins
  • 1 jar pickled bell-peppers
  • 15-20 pitted olives
  • 1-2 eggs
  • sea salt
  • pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a large pan, boil the meat first, changing the water at least once.
  • Add the peeled carrots, celeriac (quartered), parsnips and potatoes and boil until ready. Check with a fork that everything is thoroughly cooked.
  • On a large chopping board, chop all the vegetables (after they cool down) and mix in a large bowl (or a large pan.)
  • For food safety, use a different chopping board to chop the meat. Place the beef into the mixing bowl with the vegetables.
  • Drain the pickles, save a few for decorating and finely chop the rest. Squeeze out the excess liquid before adding them to the mixing bowl.
  • Finely cut long pieces of pickles and place them on a piece of absorbent paper. Leave aside until you get to the decorating part.
    sliced pickles for decoration
  • Boil the eggs for at least 6 minutes, peel and remove the yolks. You will only need the whites, finely cut, to decorate the salad.
  • Cut the olives in halves or rings and leave them aside with the pickles.
  • Empty half of the mayo jar onto the chopped vegetables, add mustard, salt and pepper and mix with a large wooden spoon without crushing it too much.
  • Place the mix on a large plateau and use a knife to give it a beautiful, regular shape.
  • Use the rest of the mayo to cover the salad, top and side.
    sliced olive and egg white decoration
  • Decorate with the finely chopped pickles, egg whites, olives and boiled peas.
  • Refrigerate before use.
    santa decorated beef salad

Notes

All the ingredients I use are organic. Beyond my refusal to eat pesticides, I want to feel the real taste of food, something to remind me of my childhood.
If you use frozen peas, boil them separately for 2-3 minutes and mix them with the rest of the vegetables.
You can mix the boiled egg yolks with the vegetables before adding the mayo.
Bon appetite!
Keyword Beef Salad, Festive beef salad