Lithuanian Pierogies Recipes

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.

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.

LITHUANIAN PIEROGIES

Steps:

• 1. Mix the dough ingredients. (First 4 listed)Dough will be soft, so have extra flour for rolling out on; adding etc.
• 2. Mix your filling ingredients. (Last 3 listed) To make: Work on a large table. Using a well-floured wooden board or table top surface,( I put a vinyl cloth down) roll out 1/2 of the dough; sprinkling more flour on it as needed to be less sticky. Roll as thin as for a cut out sugar cookie. Then using a nice size glass, cut your circles;dipping your glass into the flour with each cut. When you have all your circles cut, lift away the excess dough to a pile to use later. Circles will not stick if you use enough flour.
• 3. On your table, spread some wax paper sheets out and well flour them. This is where you'll place the finished pierogies until you par-boil them. Important to flour the wax paper to prevent sticking. Now using a spatula or carefully lifting - take one circle at a time and fill w/ about 1/2-1 tsp of filling. To close your pierogie take your finger into the warm water and go around the inside of each dough circle edge. Fold over your pierogies to make a half- moon shape. Close by pinching the edges of your dough so there are no holes along its edge. (Important so the filling cannot escape) As you complete each pierogies lay it onto the waxed paper. Keep going using the dough and cutting circles and filling them until all the pierogies are complete. Should make about 30.
• 4. When finished, bring some water to boil in a large frying pan and par-boil the pierogies to "set them" for about 2 minutes. Place on a plate or more wax paper. When drained enough, you can freeze them or put them into plastic container until ready to make them for a meal. I fry butter and onions and add my pierogies to fry them on each side. If using frozen ones, I par-boil them to thaw again and then cook in my frying pan.