Meat Pierogi Recipes

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.

POLISH MEAT PIEROGI

Steps:

• Either cook or rehydrate your meat. See recipe notes for more details. If using meat on the bones, strip it from the bones and slightly shredded. Add to food processor.
• Chop and fry the onions in a tablespoon of butter for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool slightly and add to the food processor.
• Chopp cooked carrots and fresh parsley and add to the food processor, season, and pulse a few times.
• Set your filling aside and prepare the dough.
• If you have a standing mixer, just add flour, warm milk and/or warm water, melted butter, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Then use the dough hook to mix it until it's well combined. Once combined, continue kneading it for about 6-7 minutes.
• If you don't have a mixer, you can make the dough by combining all the ingredients and kneading it until it no longer sticks to your hand.
• Once your dough is ready, you'll need to let it rest. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. You'll need it ready once you make your first batch of pierogi.
• If you have a pasta roller extension for your mixer, divide your dough into about 4 or 5 pieces and start rolling them through the pasta maker until it's thin (to about 1/8 of an inch). Make sure to keep your other pieces covered with plastic wrap.
• If you don't have a pasta roller, just use a regular hand roller and roll your dough in batches (again, to about 1/8 of an inch).
• Using a glass, cut out circles, then place a teaspoon or 1.5 tsp of the filing on every circle; press the edges of the dough together and use a fork seal the pierogi edges.
• Place the pierogi that you've made into the boiling water. Turn the heat down to low and cook for about 3 minutes, until they float to the surface.
• Prepare the clean baking sheets. Splash a little oil on each baking sheet, remove the pierogi from the water with a slotted spoon, and place them on your oiled baking sheet. Then shake them a little bit, to ensure that they're covered with oil and not touching each other.
• Continue with the rest of the dough and the filling until you've finished one full of them. When making pierogi, you may end up with excess dough or filing leftover. Don't stress about it.

POLISH MEAT PIEROGI WITH BEEF & POULTRY

Steps:

• If you cooked rosół soup earlier, use the leftover meat - it's perfect for a pierogi filling. A leftover steak or roast meat will work great too.
• Grind the meat in a meat grinder, or use a food processor/blender instead.
• Peel and chop the onion finely. Add some oil to the frying pan, wait for it to warm up. Add the chopped onion and fry until golden.
• Add fried onion to the meat mass. Season well with salt and pepper. Have a try - does it need more spice? If so, add some garlic powder or smoked paprika powder. Blend well with a spoon or a spatula.
• If the filling appears too dry, add a few spoons of water or broth - meat should be sticky.
• Follow the steps below or pick an alternative pierogi dough recipe here.
• Prepare a clean work surface. Sift the flour, make a small well. Pour in a few spoonfuls of hot water.
• Knead flour and water together. Gradually add more water, until the dough to becomes elastic and soft.
• Divide the dough into four parts. Spread one part on the work surface, roll into a thin layer of dough. Use a glass to cut out circles.
• Place a spoonful of meat filling in the middle. Fold dough over filling. Press edges together.
• Continue forming until all pierogi are assembled.
• Bring a pot water to a boil, salt it. Reduce the heat.
• Drop a couple of pierogi in. Cook until they float to the top (5-6 minutes).
• In the meantime, chop kiełbasa sausage and 1/2 onion into cubes. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on a frying pan, drop in kiełbasa and onions, let them fry until golden.
• Collect the dumplings with a slotted spoon.
• Serve pierogi, topping them with melted butter and fried onion/kiełbasa pieces. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

POLISH MEAT PIEROGI RECIPE

Steps:

• Put flour, egg, oil, and salt into the bowl. Whisk it together with hand or dough hook attachment.
• Start adding the water slowly, letting it incorporate before adding more.
• Whisk until all the ingredients are incorporated and there are no lumps.
• If you use meat from the broth [recommended], grind it. If you use ground meat, fry it with a bit of oil. If it's not soft after frying, grind it again.
• Peel, finely chop and fry the onion with a bit of oil or butter.
• Mix meat with onion, add salt and pepper.
• Add melted butter, oil, or broth until you will get the sticky mixture that will be easy to stuff pierogi with.
• Divide the dough into the 2 or 3 pieces.
• Thinly roll each piece out onto a floured surface to just under 1/16 - 1/8" thickness.
• Use a round cookie cutter to cut the circles from the dough.
• Put the filling (1/2-3 teaspoons) in the center of each circle. The more filling the better, however, you need to be sure it stays inside pierogi. When the filling will get between the dough when sealing, pierogi may fall apart during the cooking.
• Pull the edges of each circle together to form pierogi. Make sure the seal is continuous and intact. You can't leave any free space, as pierogi will fall apart during the cooking. Pinch tightly.
• Collect the remaining dough scraps and put them to the other 2 dough pieces. Repeat the process until the entire filling and dough are used.
• Pour the water into the big pot. Add 2 pinches of salt. Boil.
• Gently throw pierogi, one by one into the boiling water.
• When they start floating, wait for a minute and take them out with the slotted spoon.
• Pour the melted butter on top.

PIEROGI

Steps:

• Make a well from the flour. Add eggs and about 1/2 cup of water. The amount of water will vary according to the weather. You want to make a stiff dough. Divide it into 3 equal portions and knead until silky smooth.
• Fillings: We usually make cheese and kapusta (sauerkraut), but you can use meat, potatoes, or even fruit.
• Saute onion in butter until just soft. Add kapusta and brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow time for the filling to cool before assembling pierogi, otherwise they will fall apart when cooked. If making more than one filling, this one can cool while you prepare the others.
• Mix well.
• To assemble and cook pierogi: Roll out a portion (or half portion, if space is limited) of the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible -- somewhere between a wonton and a thin pizza. Put about a tablespoon of filling on the dough and use a large plastic cup (a big gulp-type cup works really well) to cut a circle around the filling. Dampen half of the circumference of the circle with a bit of water on your finger and fold into a dumpling. Boil the dumplings a dozen at a time in a big pot of salted water until they float -- no more than 3 minutes. At this point you can freeze them in bags for later use. To prepare for serving, brown the pierogi in a skillet using a bit of butter. If you want to be really traditional you can use bacon grease. Alternately, you can bake them in a casserole, spraying both the casserole and the pierogi with a butter flavored spray, and putting a few pats of butter on top of the dumplings.

PIEROGI (POLISH DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• To prepare the sauerkraut filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate to cool.
• For the mashed potato filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and white pepper.
• To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter.
• Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and the sauerkraut filling.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.

BASIC PIEROGI

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk together egg and sour cream. Whisk in milk and water. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface. (Dough will be loose and sticky.) Using a bench scraper, turn and fold dough to knead, dusting with flour as needed, until elastic and no longer sticky, 8 to 10 minutes. (Dough will come together as you knead it. Be careful not to add too much flour, since it will toughen the dough.) Cover with an inverted bowl; let rest for 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean linen towel, and dust generouslywith cornmeal to prevent sticking.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8-inch-thick round (keep other pieces covered).
• Cut out circles very close together, using a 3-inch cutter or glass (5 inches for the plum version). Cover with plasticwrap to prevent dough from drying. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Fill pierogi: Place filling in center of each dough circle. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Holding 1 circle in your hand, fold dough over filling. Pinch edges, forming a well-sealed crescent.
• Transfer to cornmeal-dusted towel, and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough circles and filling. Working in batches, transfer pierogi to boiling water. They will sink to the bottom and then rise. Once they have risen, cook through, about 2 minutes more (or up to 4 minutes for plum pierogi, depending on ripeness). For savory pierogi, coat a platter with half the butter. Transfer pierogi to platter using a slotted spoon. Drizzle tops with remaining butter, and season with salt. For sweet pierogi, transfer to a platter using a slotted spoon, and dot with sour cream.

HOMEMADE PIEROGI

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine flour and salt; cover and pulse to blend. Add water, eggs and butter; cover and pulse until dough forms a ball, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed. Let rest, covered, 15 to 30 minutes., Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions in butter until tender; set aside., Drain potatoes. Over very low heat, stir potatoes until steam has evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Press through a potato ricer or strainer into a large bowl. Stir in cream cheese, salt, pepper and onion mixture; set aside., Divide dough into 4 parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a floured 3-in. biscuit cutter. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in center of each circle. Moisten edges with water; fold in half and press edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil over high heat; add pierogi in batches. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer; cook until pierogi float to the top and are tender, 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. In a large skillet, saute 4 pierogi and onion in butter until pierogi are lightly browned and heated through; sprinkle with parsley. Repeat with remaining pierogi. Freeze option: Place cooled pierogi on waxed paper-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pans; freeze until firm. Transfer to an airtight freezer container; freeze up to 3 months. To use, for each serving, in a large skillet, saute 4 pierogi and 1/4 cup chopped onion in 1 tablespoon butter until pierogi are lightly browned and heated through; sprinkle with minced fresh parsley.

PIEROGIES WITH MEAT

Steps:

• Grind the meat with bread.
• Add the onions which have been sauteed in the drippings.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• To prepare dough, mix the egg with the flour, add a dash of salt and as much water as needed to knead a smooth loose dough.
• Roll out as thinly as you can.
• Cut out 2 1/2 to 3 inch squares.
• Put a little of the stuffing on each square.
• Fold to form a triangle, pinch the edges together.
• Cook in a large kettle with boiling salted water on high heat for 5 minutes.
• Remove with a colander spoon to a warmed serving platter.
• Add the bread crumbs to the butter and fry for a few minutes on low heat.
• Pour over the pierogi.

PIEROGI BEEF SKILLET

Steps:

• In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook and crumble beef with onion over medium heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes., Stir in pierogi and vegetables. Cook, uncovered, until heated through, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese.

PIEROGI

Steps:

• First, make the crispy shallots. Heat the oil in a saucepan to 180C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 15 secs). Toss the shallots in a little flour and deep-fry for 1 min or until light golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper. Can be made up to two days before and kept in an airtight container.
• To make the filling, heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan and gently fry the shallots for 10 mins until starting to turn golden.
• Add the sauerkraut and cabbage, and cook for 5-10 mins until the cabbage has softened. Taste and add a little salt if under-seasoned, or sugar if stringent. Scrape into a bowl and leave to cool completely.
• To make the dough, mix the eggs and oil with 125ml water, then gradually add in the flour, mixing well with your hands. Knead it on a well-floured surface until the dough stops sticking to your hands. You should end up with firm, elastic dough. Wrap it in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins, or overnight.
• Flour your work surface generously. Roll out the dough to a 40cm circle or until the dough is as thick as £1 coin.
• Using a 9cm cookie cutter, cut out discs in the dough - you should end up with about 25 discs. Do not throw away the off-cuts - we throw them in with the pierogi when boiling to minimise any waste.
• Have a well-floured tray ready. Put 1 tsp of the filling into the centre of each disc. In your hand, fold in half around the filling and seal to create half-moon shapes. Put them on the floured tray, making sure they don't touch each other.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and carefully lower the pierogi in. Boil them for 2 mins or until they float to the top.
• Drain and serve with a knob of butter and some soured cream. Finish by sprinkling the crispy shallots on top to serve.