Meat Pierogi
Today’s recipe is by my daughter Hanna, age 11. Pierogi are a Polish tradition for Christmas (Wigilia) but we like to eat them year-round. There are different varieties of pierogi. My personal favorites are meat (mięsne) and potato + cheese (ruskie). Some of the other fillings are sauerkraut + mushroom and even fruit (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)! The ones that I love to make (and eat) the most, are the meat ones. It can be fun to shape the meat into little balls or ovals. I remember making pierogi with my mom ever since I was little. I wasn’t good at it at first, but once I started doing it more, I got a lot better at shaping them. I love to take the excess dough and make fun shapes out of it. Sometimes if I was lucky, a piece of dough snuck into my mouth. The dough plays a very important role, obviously! It covers the entire thing and keeps the filling inside! Another important part is the boiling. Even though a simple step, it is a very important one too. Let your water heat up, and when it starts to boil slightly, add salt and about a spoonful of oil. When you think you have made enough pierogi, (see my mom’s recipe below) put them into the water once at a boil. Be sure to stir lightly after putting in, to ensure that they don’t stick together. After they all float to the top, take them out to cool. Once cooled, but still warm, butter up a pan and fry them until golden on both sides. Finally serve. And finally my favorite part, eating the pierogi! Smacznego! HH
INGREDIENTS
NutritionFilling
- 2
- 1pinch salt and pepper
- 1pinch garlic powder
- 2
- 1large onion
- 1teaspoon salt
- 1 1⁄4teaspoons fresh ground pepper
- 1tablespoon marjoram
- 2tablespoons butter
- 4tablespoons butter
Dough
- 6cups all-purpose flour
- 2
- 2teaspoons salt
- 2 1⁄2cups warm water
DIRECTIONS
- Wash and dry meat. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook in the 350 degree oven until cooked through. Take out, set aside to cool (preserved juices from cooking).
- In the mean time, chop the onion and sauté in butter.
- Once meat cools, cube and put through a meat grinder with the attachment with the smallest holes.
- To ground up meat, add juices from roasting (about 2 cups, if not enough juices were produced, add water or broth), sautéed onion, melted butter (1/2 stick), salt, pepper, marjoram and minced garlic.
- Mix well. Taste. Add salt, if needed. Set aside.
- To make dough, combine all ingredients (I do about half of this recipe at a time, as that's as much my mixer holds). Put a large pot full of salted water on for a boil. Add a splash of oil, to prevent sticking.
- In batches, roll out dough to about 1/8 of an inch thickness. With a glass, cut out circles. Fill each circle with about a 1.5 tsp of filling (or more if you'd like), close each pieróg and press edges with a fork to seal (see video below).
- Drop into boiling water, turn heat down to low and with a spoon lightly stir off the bottom, to prevent sticking. Water should only be slightly simmering (not rolling boil). When all pierogi float to the top, they are done. Remove from pot and place on a large surface to cool (without touching), or serve topped with sautéed onion.
- This recipe makes about a 100 pierogi. They freeze well. Place in a dish in layers, separated with parchment paper. Once frozen, place in a plastic bag. To thaw, place in a sautéing pan with about 1/4 cup of water, and a couple tablespoons of butter, cover and cook for a few minutes, until water evaporates. Uncover and sauté until golden brown.