Marina's Beef-Rice-Peach Roll

Marina’s beef-rice-peach roll is a stop-the-presses retro main course, the kind of dinner-party recipe a 1970s home cook would have served on a cut-glass platter. Two pounds of seasoned ground beef get patted into a rectangle and rolled jelly-roll style around a sweet-savory filling of cooked rice, peaches, and dill. The cross-section reveals a striking pinwheel of pink, white, and golden orange.

The peach syrup does double duty. A third of a cup goes into the meat mixture for moisture and gentle sweetness, and another tablespoon glazes the loaf in the final 15 minutes for a glossy, lacquered finish.

Dill is the unexpected ingredient that ties everything together. Its grassy, slightly anise note bridges the savory beef and the sweet peaches in a way that no other herb manages.

Pro Tips

• Use waxed paper as a rolling aid, lift the long edge of the paper to start the roll instead of trying to lift the meat directly. The waxed paper peels away as you go.
• Don’t overpack the rice filling, a thin even layer rolls cleanly. Mounded filling tears the meat as you roll.
• Press the meat firmly over the open ends to seal in the peaches, otherwise the syrup leaks out during baking.
• Let the loaf rest the full 10 to 15 minutes before slicing, the rolled structure needs time to set or the slices fall apart.

Variations

• Swap canned peaches for fresh sliced apricots in summer for a more intense, slightly tart filling.
• Add a half cup of feta or grated kefalotyri to the rice for a Greek-leaning version.
• Use a mix of ground lamb and beef for a richer, slightly gamier loaf.