Meat Filled Pelmeni Vareniki Or Pierogi Recipes

VARENIKI

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the onions over medium heat, stirring regularly until they are golden brown, then drain them of their oil and place on plate lined with paper towel.
• Peel and boil the potatoes in a large amount of lightly salted water.
• Drain the potatoes using a large skimmer and keep the boiling water for cooking.
• Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and, using a potato masher, mash the potatoes, gradually adding the boiling milk. Add the butter and, optionally, a little boiling water from the potatoes and mix until a slightly firm consistency is obtained.
• Add the fried onions and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a small skillet, melt the butter.
• Fry the onion over medium heat for 1 minute then add the sugar.
• Cook over low to medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside in a warm place for serving.
• Combine sifted flour, salt, eggs, milk and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Knead a homogeneous dough. Cover and let stand 30 minutes, away from heat.
• Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces and roll out each piece of dough to a thickness of ⅛ inch (3 mm).
• Using a cookie cutter, cut circles about 3 inches (7 cm) in diameter.
• Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle of dough, fold them in half to form a semi-circle and pinch the edges with wet hands.
• Heat a large amount of boiling salted water in a casserole dish.
• Immerse the vareniki in simmering water and cook them for 3 minutes.
• Drain.
• Place the boiled vareniki in a bowl or deep dish.
• Sprinkle with fried onions, salt lightly, pepper, and mix gently.
• Finally sprinkle with chopped spring onion.

BABCHA'S MEAT-FILLED VARENYKY (PEROGIES)

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain in a sieve or colander and rinse off excess fat with hot water.
• Mash potatoes with milk in a bowl until smooth; stir in onion, garlic, 1 pinch salt, and pepper. Mix ground beef into potato mixture until filling is evenly combined.
• Whisk flour and 4 teaspoons salt together in a deep bowl; stir in 1 cup water and eggs until dough is soft. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal parts and arrange on a baking sheet; cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Roll each piece of dough on a floured work surface until thin; cut into rounds using the rim of a large-mouth cup or large cookie cutter.
• Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons filling onto each round. Fold dough over filling creating a 1/2 circle; press edges together, sealing with a dash of water if needed. Arrange varenyky in a single layer on plates and cover with a clean towel.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook 2 to 3 varenyky at a time in boiling water until cooked through and dough is puffed, about 4 minutes. Remove varenyky with a slotted spoon and repeat with remaining varenyky.

MEAT PIEROGI

Steps:

• 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.

RUSSIAN PELMENI

Steps:

• Combine egg, vegetable oil, and salt in a measuring cup; add enough water to fill to 1 cup. Pour into a bowl, add 3 cups flour, and knead into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes.
• Dust a baking sheet lightly with 1 tablespoon flour.
• Combine ground beef, onion, water, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix filling thoroughly by hand or using a fork.
• Roll out a portion of the dough very thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out 2 1/2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter or a wine glass. Keep the rest of the dough covered with a towel to avoid drying out. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of filling on one side of the dough circle. Fold dough over and seal the edges using fingers, forming a crescent. Join the ends and pinch them together. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Freeze pelmeni for 30 minutes to prevent them from sticking together.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a simmer and drop small batches of frozen pelmeni into simmering water. Cook and stir until the meat is cooked and pelmeni float to the top, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer to serving plates using a slotted spoon.

CHEESE-FILLED VARENIKI OR PIEROGI

Steps:

• Combine the cottage cheese with the salt, sugar, egg, and 1/2 cup sour cream in a bowl; taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Lay a wrapper on a work surface, then place 1 to 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of it; brush the edges of the wrapper with egg white, then pinch tightly to close. If you have cut circles, form half-moons; if you have cut squares, form triangles. Press the seam tightly to seal; it's best if no air is trapped between the filling and wrapper. Set on a lightly floured plate or wax paper. (At this point you may cover tightly and refrigerate for up to a day or freeze for a couple of weeks.)
• To boil the dumplings, melt the butter, set a large pot of water to boil, and preheat the oven to 200°F. Salt the water and boil the dumplings a few at a time until they rise to the surface. A minute or two later, taste a bit of the dough to see whether it is tender. As they finish, remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and put them in an ovenproof bowl; drizzle them with some of the butter and put the bowl in the oven.When the dumplings are done, make sure they are coated evenly with butter and serve hot with sour cream.
• Panfried Dumplings
• Put about 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. When the butter melts, add as many dumplings as will fit without crowding and brown them quickly, turning once or twice. Keep warm on a plate in the oven, cooking the remaining dumplings and adding butter to the skillet as needed. Serve hot, with sour cream.

MEAT-FILLED PELMENI, VARENIKI, OR PIEROGI

Steps:

• Put the meat in a food processor along with a large pinch of salt and some pepper. Process, along with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, until the mixture is finely ground and almost fluffy. Mix in the onion by hand.
• Lay a wrapper on a work surface, then place 1 to 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of it; brush the edges of the wrapper with egg white, then pinch tightly to close. If you have cut circles, form half-moons; if you have cut squares, form triangles. Press the seam tightly to seal; it's best if no air is trapped between the filling and wrapper. Set on a lightly floured plate or wax paper. (It is at this point that the pelmeni are traditionally frozen, and you can do so if you like, or refrigerate them for a day or so.)
• To boil the dumplings, melt the butter, set a large pot of water to boil, and preheat the oven to 200°F. Salt the water and boil the dumplings a few at a time until they rise to the surface. A minute or two later, taste a bit of the dough to see whether it is tender. As they finish, remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and put them in an ovenproof bowl; drizzle them with some of the butter and put the bowl in the oven. When the pelmeni are done, grind some fresh pepper over them, make sure they are coated evenly with butter, garnish with dill if you like, and serve hot.
• Drain the cooked pelmeni and put them in a bowl filled with hot, rich broth, like chicken stock (page 160). Omit the butter. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley leaves and serve.