Ingredients:
Meat Filling:
1/2 TBSP pepper
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP minced onion
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp MSG
2 slices dried and crumbled bread
2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
Dough:
9 Cups AP flour
6 eggs
1/2 Cup water
1 heaping TBSP salt
Directions:
Mix all ingredients for the meat filling and chill until ready.
On a large work area measure out flour into a pile. Create a well in the center and add eggs and salt. Break the eggs and mix well. Incorporate flour a little at a time until a sticky dough forms (add a little bit of water if the dough is too crumbly).
Knead the dough for 10-20 minutes on a floured surface until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Allow dough to rest, covered, for an hour.
Uncover the dough, cut into manageable sizes, and roll out to 1/8" thickness. Keep dough that is not being rolled covered.
Using a round template such as a drinking glass or cookie cutter, cut circles into the dough. We make them approximately 3 inches in diameter.
Do not flip the dough circles until you are ready to fill them because the side touching the rolling surface will be stickier. Flip a circle and add about 1/2-1 tsp of the meat mixture to the center. Bring one side of the circle up to meet the opposite side, making a crescent shape. Pinch the edges firmly, keeping the meat mixture in the center. The goal is to not have meat squeezing out the edges, and for the dough edges to be pinched so firmly that they become translucent when held up to the light.
Lay the pierogi on a floured surface to wait until it is cooked. Repeat until all of the dough and meat mixture are used. You will want to lay them in a single layer without touching so they do not stick together.
If there is remaining dough, cut into small pieces to be eaten as noodles. Cook them alongside the pierogis. (If you want to freeze any, now is the time. Freeze them in a single layer, and then once frozen, transfer into your container of choice.)
Bring a large stockpot 3/4 full of salted water to a boil. Add pierogis in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the dough and meat are cooked through.
If some of the pierogis break open during cooking, that's okay, it flavors the water! After you have cooked a couple of batches, take a bit of the water, add salt, pepper and Apple Cider Vinegar to taste.
Enjoy the pierogis in a bowl with some of the vinegar pasta water as a sauce.
Homemade pierogis is a recipe that we make annually in my family. My Oma was from a German family and during World War II she was placed in a concentration camp because they were poor. She and her own mother escaped and became nannies for a Polish family. That Polish family taught them their family's pierogi recipe and we've been making it ever since.
Typically, pierogis are made with potato on the inside but our family makes them more like ravioli with ground beef for the filling. They are definitely a labor of love!
We always eat them right away in a bowl of the pasta broth with salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Often the next day we'll saute the leftovers in butter for crispy golden goodness and more apple cider vinegar, but I have also seen people use mustard and marinara sauce to dip them in!