Russian · Main course · SAMPLE RECIPE
Pelmeni · beef & pork dumplings
Small tender dumplings with a juicy beef, pork, and onion filling. A little butter, sour cream, and dill finish this Russian-style homemade batch.
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A NOTE FROM THE KITCHEN
Thin wrappers and well-sealed edges.
The base batch makes about sixty small dumplings. Pelmeni are filled with raw seasoned meat, which cooks inside the wrapper. Keep the filling refrigerated while working and cook the finished dumplings thoroughly; floating alone does not prove that the meat is done.
Ready to get started? The ingredients and steps are right below.
LET’S MAKE SOMETHING GOOD
Pelmeni · beef & pork dumplings
Sample recipe awaiting kitchen testing. Timings are estimates.
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Check off each step as you cook.
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BEHIND THE DISH · Russian meat-dumpling traditions
Pelmeni · beef & pork dumplingsBeyond the plate.
Thin dough encloses a small portion of seasoned meat, then folds into a compact rounded dumpling.
ORIGINS & EVOLUTION
One member of a wide dumpling family.
Pelmeni are closely associated with Russian cooking and with Siberian dumpling traditions. They share the idea of filled dough with many other cuisines, while the familiar beef-and-pork filling and joined-end shape give this version its character. Shapes and fillings still vary by household and region.
CULTURAL CONTEXT
A task that can be shared.
Rolling, filling, and sealing make pelmeni well suited to several people working together. Ready-made frozen dumplings are also common. Butter, sour cream, herbs, or broth offer different ways to bring a cooked batch to the table without overwhelming the filling.
AT THE TABLE
Small hand-shaped dumplings.
Our dough contains flour, water, egg, and a little oil. The beef and pork filling starts raw and is cooked inside the wrapper. We shape rounded dumplings by joining the corners of a sealed half-moon, then check the meat center rather than relying only on whether they float.
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