Polish Meat Pierogi with Beef & Poultry

Method16 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose the 1.5 lb already fully cooked meat for the filling, ideally beef from rosół, roast or steak leftovers. Keep it chilled until needed while you prepare the other ingredients.

   Uses 1.5 lb already fully cooked meat

2. 2

   Step 2: Grind the prepared cooked meat with a meat grinder, or pulse it in a food processor or blender to a fine filling texture.

   Uses Selected fully cooked filling meat

3. 3

   Step 3: Peel and finely chop the whole white onion (1) for the filling. Warm a little canola oil in a frying pan, add that onion and fry until golden.

   Uses 1 white onion for filling, about 110 g · Canola oil for frying this onion; amount unmeasured

4. 4

   Step 4: Mix the fried filling onion and its pan oil into the ground cooked meat. Add the 1 tsp filling salt and pepper to taste. Taste the cooked-meat mixture and, if desired, add a little garlic powder. Mix well.

   Uses Ground cooked meat · Golden filling onion with its pan oil · 1 tsp salt for filling · Pepper for filling, to taste · Optional garlic powder, to taste

5. 5

   Step 5: If the filling is dry, mix in a few spoonfuls of the separate moistening water, just until the meat mixture is sticky enough to hold together. Keep this prepared filling covered and chilled while you make the dough.

   Uses Seasoned cooked-meat and onion filling · A few spoonfuls of separate water, only if filling is dry

6. 6

   Step 6: Use the plain hot-water (250 ml) dough below. Measure the 500 g flour, the separate 1 tsp dough salt and the 250 ml hot dough water, keeping these dough supplies separate from the prepared filling.

   Uses 500 g all-purpose flour for dough · 1 tsp salt for dough · 250 ml hot water reserved for dough

7. 7

   Step 7: Sift the measured dough flour onto a clean work surface and mix in the measured dough salt. Make a shallow well. Pour a few spoonfuls from the measured hot-water supply into the well and begin combining with a utensil; reserve the remaining dough water for gradual additions.

   Uses The measured 500 g dough flour · The measured 1 tsp dough salt · A few spoonfuls from the measured hot dough water

8. 8

   Step 8: When cool enough to handle comfortably, knead the partially mixed dough, gradually adding the remaining measured dough water until the dough is soft and elastic. Keep the prepared meat filling separate until shaping.

   Uses Partially mixed salted flour dough · The remaining measured dough water

9. 9

   Step 9: Divide the kneaded dough into four parts. Keep three parts covered and roll the first part thinly on the work surface. Cut circles with a glass or round cutter, keeping any dough offcuts for later rolling.

   Uses Complete kneaded pierogi dough

10. 10

    Step 10: Put a small spoonful of the prepared meat filling in the center of each circle from the first rolled portion. Fold the dough over the filling and press the edges firmly together, keeping filling off the sealing edges.

    Uses Dough circles from the first quarter · A small actual filling draw per circle; spoon volume and whole-batch fraction unknown

11. 11

    Step 11: Roll and cut the remaining three dough portions and the offcuts, fill them with the same prepared meat filling, and seal the pierogi. Keep unused filling chilled and the dough covered as you work; continue until all the dough you are using is formed.

    Uses Pierogi formed from the first dough portion · The three covered unrolled dough portions · Reserved dough offcuts · Remaining prepared filling as needed for the later wrappers

12. 12

    Step 12: Bring a large pot of the separate cooking water to a boil and season that bath with its separate salt to taste. Reduce the heat to a steady gentle boil for cooking the pierogi in small batches.

    Uses Water for the actual boiling pot; volume unmeasured · Salt for the cooking bath, to taste

13. 13

    Step 13: Add a small uncrowded batch of the formed pierogi to the hot cooking water. Cook for the author’s approximately 5–6-minute guide, until they float, the wrappers are tender and the filling is thoroughly hot. Check a representative center reaches 165°F (74°C); continue cooking as needed.

    Cook meat pierogi batch · 6 minUses A small actual batch of the formed pierogi · Hot salted pierogi cooking water

14. 14

    Step 14: While the pierogi cook, chop the fully cooked kiełbasa link and the separate half onion into cubes. Melt the 2 tbsp topping butter in a frying pan, add those cubes, and fry until the onion is golden and the sausage is hot and lightly browned.

    Uses 1 fully cooked short kiełbasa link, about 90 g · 1/2 onion for topping · 2 tbsp butter for topping

15. 15

    Step 15: Lift the cooked batch out with a slotted spoon. Cook the remaining formed pierogi in the same hot water in uncrowded batches, using the 5–6-minute guide and checking tender wrappers and hot filling for each batch. Gather the drained cooked pierogi for serving.

    Uses First fully cooked meat-pierogi batch · Any formed pierogi not yet cooked · The same hot salted cooking water

16. 16

    Step 16: Serve the hot pierogi with the prepared butter, golden topping onion and kiełbasa distributed over them. Sprinkle with the 2 tbsp chopped chives. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container for the source’s up to 3 days, or freeze; reheat the filling thoroughly to 165°F (74°C).

    Uses Cooked meat pierogi from all completed batches · Hot buttered kiełbasa and topping onion · 2 tbsp chopped chives