Mom’s not-so-secret recipe for bierocks

I discovered accidently the correct spelling for bierocks while perusing Allrecipes.com. Turns out this dish is something the Germans brought home from Russia after being introduced to pierogi. The following recipe may not be totally from scratch, but it’s a huge favorite when the whole family gets together to make a few batches.

Bierocks

1 package (5 loaves) Mrs. Butterworth’s Frozen Bread Dough
3 lbs. ground round or sirloin
2-3 heads cabbage, shredded or cut into small chunks
2-3 onions, diced
salt or pepper to taste

Thaw bread dough according to package directions. Let rise and punch down before you start to roll out the portions of dough. While dough is thawing, brown meat in large electric frying pan. (If you use hamburger or ground chuck, drain the fat before you continue.) Stir in onions. Add the cabbage. Season to taste. Cook 2 to 3 hours until cabbage is soft. Simmer on low heat. (You can put the cooked mixture in a colander to remove excess liquid.)

When the dough is ready, pinch a small ball (golf or tennis ball size) and roll out on a floured board to about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Put a heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture in center of dough, fold up the sides, and pinch tight so it looks like a large dumpling. Put the pinched side down on a greased baking pan. Continue this process until the dough and meat mixture is used up. Let them set for 10 to 15 minutes until they rise a little.

Bake at 350° - 375° for approximately 30 minutes until they’re a light brown. Bake 5 minutes longer if necessary. Place pans on cooling rack. Brush or rub tops of bierocks with margarine and serve with brown gravy, if desired. Makes about 2 dozen, depending on how much dough you use for each one.

Bierocks can be frozen after they cool. Just place in a Ziploc® freezer bag. Thaw in a microwave, but they taste better reheated in an oven.

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