How to Make Polish Beef Dumplings

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Meat Pierogi are a Polish-style pockets of dough, filled with beef and sometimes with poultry or pork.

These favour-packed dumplings are often made with the meat that's leftover from brewing Rosół soup.

For the full list of ingredients & detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. But before you scroll, there's important stuff to know below.

That's what makes Polish Pierogi different from Russian Pelmeni, Georgian Chinkali and other meaty dumplings of the East: the meat has been cooked before assembly, it isn't raw when it goes inside the dough.

What's great about this recipe is that you don't have to search for any specialty ingredients to make it. Everything should be easily accessible, wherever you live. Go on, you don't have any excuse!

To learn more about Polish dumplings in general, check out this Pierogi guide. Are you ready to try different fillings? Try some of my favourites:

• Pierogi with Farmer's Cheese
• Pierogi with Cabbage
• Pierogi with Sauerkraut

Do you need any special ingredients to make Meat Pierogi?

No. You shouldn't have to go out and search for any speciality ingredients for this recipe. Everything should be available in any well-stocked grocery store.

What should you serve with Meat Pierogi?

No extra side dishes are needed, Meat Pierogi are very satisfying on their own. Maybe a light, leafy salad could work.

In this recipe, pierogi are topped with caramelized onions, fried chopped kiełbasa and sprinkled with chives. You can omit all of the above and just brush them with some melted butter.

Can you cook these Meat Pierogi another way?

Pierogi can be steamed instead of boiling. 10 minutes should be enough. There's no raw meat inside, so there's no risk they'll end up undercooked.

For more crispy pierogi, you can add one extra step after boiling. Just fry, bake or grill them for a bit. For more suggestions, refer back to the post on how to cook pierogi.

What diets are these Meat Pierogi suitable for?

Meat Pierogi aren't suitable for vegans, vegetarians and those on various elimination diets.

If you follow a gluten-free diet, try replacing the dough with this Gluten-free Pierogi Dough recipe.

How long can you keep these Meat Pierogi in the fridge?

Once served, eat them quickly. Don't leave them on the table for more than 3 hours.

Once cooled, Meat Pierogi can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To prevent them from drying up, move the dumplings into a container with a lid. Alternatively, keep them on a plate and just wrap some cling film over them.

Can I freeze these Meat Pierogi?

Yes, these Meat Pierogi are freezer-friendly. If you're freezing leftovers, wait for them to cool down first. Prepare a tray that would fit into your freezer (in my case a small cutting board works well), grease it lightly with some cooking oil. Place dumplings on top, make sure they don't touch.

Place in the freezer for 2 hours. After that time you can move pierogi into one of those zip-bags that are suitable for freezing. Remember to label it well, so you know what's inside and when was it frozen. Consume within 2-3 months. If in doubt, refer to the post on how to freeze pierogi.

How do I reheat these Meat Pierogi?

From chilled: pierogi can be reheated in a microwave, 3 to 4 minutes are usually enough. But there's a better way: warming them up on a frying  pan. That way they get nice and crispy.

Start by melting one teaspoon of butter. Add the dumplings in and pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of water into the pan. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat, again – for 3 to 4 minutes. After that time, lift the lid and flip the pierogi onto the other side. Wait for the excess water to evaporate and let the dumplings fry for a bit longer, let them turn golden.

From frozen: Fill up a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Throw in the frozen pierogi and continue cooking until the water starts to boil again (that will happen within a few minutes).

Serve them immediately. Alternatively, add an extra step – frying in butter for a bit. That way the outer shell will become crispy.

Smacznego!

Ingredients

For the meat filling

• 1.5 lb (600-700 g) cooked meat, ideally beef, but also poultry, game meat or pork
• 1 (approx. 3.8 oz, 110 g) white onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper, to taste
• canola oil, for frying

For the pierogi dough

• 4 US cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (8.45 fl oz, 250 ml) hot water
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the topping

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 short link ( 3 oz, 90 g) Polish kiełbasa sausage
• 1/2 onion
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped

Instructions

For the meat filling

1. 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.
2. Grind the meat in a meat grinder, or use a food processor/blender instead.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. If the filling appears too dry, add a few spoons of water or broth - meat should be sticky.

For the pierogi dough

1. Follow the steps below or pick an alternative pierogi dough recipe here.
2. Prepare a clean work surface. Sift the flour, make a small well. Pour in a few spoonfuls of hot water.
3. Knead flour and water together. Gradually add more water, until the dough to becomes elastic and soft.
4. 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.
5. Place a spoonful of meat filling in the middle. Fold dough over filling. Press edges together.
6. Continue forming until all pierogi are assembled.

Finishing up

1. Bring a pot water to a boil, salt it. Reduce the heat.
2. Drop a couple of pierogi in. Cook until they float to the top (5-6 minutes).
3. 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.
4. Collect the dumplings with a slotted spoon.
5. Serve pierogi, topping them with melted butter and fried onion/kiełbasa pieces. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 50 Serving Size: 6
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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Source: https://www.polonist.com/meat-pierogi/

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