Some food, some drink.
It’s Bierock-Makin’ Time!
Abstract: Bierocks – bread baked around a filling of ground beef, onions & cabbage. Here in Hays, USA, they are a staple, as I imagine they are in many Volga German pioneer-settled communities. Oktoberfest (both of 'em here) wouldn't be the same if you couldn't get one. I took the recipe my mom acquired at church way back in like 1978, dissected it, tweaked it & came up with dough that can also be made in a bread machine (if that's your thing). Also improved the filling so as not to make the veg a detriment to the experience. Make a double or even a triple batch with your favorite kitchen partner-in-crime, 'cuz they freeze great!
Purpose: As one gets older, inevitably the folks you rely on for certain experiences pass on, leaving you at the top of the list to fill the void. I came to this realization a few years back as we weren't living in Hays at the time, and I had a hankering for bierocks. If you're not familiar with 'em, we're talking about meat + veg wrapped in bread as those with Volga German heritage do it up. In it's simplest incarnation, we're talking about ground beef + cabbage. Initially, what I set out to accomplish was to duplicate the recipe my mom swiped from the church-lady crowd back in the late 70's. I managed to unearth that recipe and noticed a few things:
- Firstly, eggs. I mean, I know this is an enriched dough & all, but the first time I did it this way, it made the dough a bit too heavy; especially if a bread machine is yo'thang.
- Second, margarine. Clearly this a situation of dogma in recipes handed down from depression-era folk, yet no one bothers to correct it. This is not wartime. Dairy is widely available. Use butter.
- Third, salt. There's a lot in this recipe. Enough to make even Anne Burrell give pause.
- Last, the filling. In the hands of some, the filling can be a bit dry and anywhere from insipid to downright smelly. Though I can't prove it, I'm pretty sure this is the reason some people prefer cheese in/on theirs (sacrilege, really). After watching a particularly inspiring episode of Good Eats, I felt pretty confident I could fix what was broken with the filling.
For posterity, I've entered the original recipe as transcribed by my sister, into the archive. If you'd like, take a gander before reading my spin on it. If you try the old recipe, I'd love to get your take.
Recipe: Jump to the detailed recipe. (or, keep reading for the gist of it) -
Dough
Filling
For the Dough - If using a machine, put the ingredients into the bread machine in the order listed. Set the machine to the Dough setting for a 2 lb. loaf & let 'er rip.
For a stand mixer, add ingredients in the order listed & knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes using the stir/low speed Let sit in a loosely lidded container in an oven w/ the light on for 2 hours to rise before using.
For the Filling - Brown ground beef with the garlic, onion, pepper & 1 tsp of the salt. Drain any grease and then add the cabbage, sugar & remainder of the salt to the pan. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To Assemble - Divide the dough into four equal half-pound pieces. For each piece, roll out the dough roughly into a square shape and cut into quarters. Fill each portion with a 1/4 cup of filling. Moisten the edges of the dough with water and pinch closed. Flip and place onto a parchment/Silpat-lined sheet pan. Repeat for each piece of dough. You'll get about 8 to a pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned. Spritz/brush with melted butter as they come out of the oven if you're feeling classy (I don't do this to the ones I freeze, otherwise crust loses it's texture as it cools).
Observation: If you want folks to know you put some love into your bierocks, don't let the filling preparation fall by the wayside. Always make sure you're crumbling that beef with a spatula as it cooks. No one likes to bite into a big ol' hunk of overdone meat. Speaking of overdone, you need to add the cabbage while the meat is still pink; like two-thirds done-pink. This will ensure that your cabbage is perfectly done at the same time the meat is.
Don't overthink the dough-filling process. These taste so good that no one's going to stop to criticize as they're wolfing them down. Just bring it all together & set it seam-side down & it'll usually seal itself during baking. Divide that dough into manageable pieces ahead of time, keeping plenty of bench flour around to make sure nothing sticks when you don't want it to, and a small cup of warm water to seal the dough up when it's time to fill.
If freezing, you'll want 'em to cool completely on a rack before bagging & tagging. To thaw, nuke 'em for about 30 seconds before moving to a 350F oven (or toaster oven if you got one) for 10-12 minutes to finish.
Results: There are two things that really make this recipe. The dough is a bit sweet, and I try like hell to make sure the meat for the filling doesn't get cooked into oblivion. Regarding the dough, you probably could (and I have) use it for sweet rolls as well. The reason I think it works is that the sweetness plays nice with the onion, garlic and cabbage, all of which have no problem in slightly sweet applications. On the topic of the filling, we get our beef locally; usually a quarter of a steer every year. The butchers around these parts keep the beef fairly lean. They say 85%, but I'm guessing it's closer to 90. If it's any indication, I never have to drain fat when I brown ground beef. That little bit of fat combined with the veg makes a wonderful 'sauce' that completely coats each wonderfully crumbly piece of beef.
When serving, two is usually plenty. I love 'em with a pat of butter and yellow mustard, both on the side; though I understand some folks insist on ketchup (blargh).
Gallery:
Bierock filling: Note how the cabbage still has color? Courtesy of the added sugar & not cooking the crap out of it.
Bierock filling: Note how the cabbage still has color? Courtesy of the added sugar & not cooking the crap out of it.
Dough-handling, step 1: get yourself a half-pound ball of dough and roll it into a 1/4in thick (approximation of a) rectangle.
Dough-handling, step 1: get yourself a half-pound ball of dough and roll it into a 1/4in thick (approximation of a) rectangle.
Dough-handling, step 2: Cut into eight (roughly) equal pieces. My trusty ol' bench scraper is the best tool for the job.
Dough-handling, step 2: Cut into eight (roughly) equal pieces. My trusty ol' bench scraper is the best tool for the job.
Dough-handling, step 3: Roll one piece of dough even thinner & put about a 1/4 cup of filling in there. It'll all fit; trust me.
Dough-handling, step 3: Roll one piece of dough even thinner & put about a 1/4 cup of filling in there. It'll all fit; trust me.
Dough-handling, step 4: Bring opposing ends together. If you need more 'stick', moisten your fingertips with H2O.
Dough-handling, step 4: Bring opposing ends together. If you need more 'stick', moisten your fingertips with H2O.
Dough-handling, step 5: We make round, not square bierocks here. Wouldn't want anyone to lose an eye gnawing at a corner.
Dough-handling, step 5: We make round, not square bierocks here. Wouldn't want anyone to lose an eye gnawing at a corner.
Bierocks ready to bake: flip 'em over, spaced evenly. Don't sweat a perfect seal. The 'rock dough will handle that as it expands.
Bierocks ready to bake: flip 'em over, spaced evenly. Don't sweat a perfect seal. The 'rock dough will handle that as it expands.
Bierocks just out of the oven: Brushed with just a bit of butter. Don't brush if you plan on freezing, as they reheat better.
Bierocks just out of the oven: Brushed with just a bit of butter. Don't brush if you plan on freezing, as they reheat better.
This is the 3rd bierock I cut open, searching for the perfect photo. I had no problem finding 'receptacles' for my faux pas.
This is the 3rd bierock I cut open, searching for the perfect photo. I had no problem finding 'receptacles' for my faux pas.
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