A Family Tradition

Christmas yields fond memories, but mostly delicious smells in my parents’ home.   

On Christmas Eve every year growing up we would celebrate with my mother’s family, who happens to be Polish and Serbian.  This required traditional Polish/Serbian fare for our meal.  My Grandmother and Mother would spend hours in the kitchen making homemade Pierogi. First came the dough, ravioli type dough made from scratch.  Next the fillings.  It was a tradition in my Grandmother’s kitchen (or should I say her Grandmother’s kitchen) to make both meat and cheese fillings.  Now I know many of you reading this ask yourself, “don’t Pierogi traditionally have a potato or potato and cheese filling?”  Yes, they can be, but Pierogi fillings greatly differ depending on the region you lived in.   My Grandmother and Grandfather used a meat and a cheese filling based on the Serbian traditions from my Grandfather. 


Now, when I help my mother make the Pierogi usually the whole family participates.  My brother has helped us fill the dough and shape the Pierogi and my dad usually pan fries them – the final step. Here are the steps my family uses to make our variation of Pierogi. Oh – I wish Christmas was around the corner again.  Such a special treat! 


Step 1:  Making the Dough - Fannie Farmer Ravioli Dough - Double Recipe - 3 Cups Flour; 2 Eggs; 1 tspn salt; Warm Water -   Sift flour and salt on a board, make depression in center, drop in egg, mix with a fork and moisten with warm water to a stiff dough. Knead until smooth, cover with a warm bowl, and let stand thirty minutes. (Work fast before the dough dries or it will not stick together!)

Step 2: Making the Fillings 
Meat - Fry onion, add 2 pounds fried ground beef, salt and pepper; drain fat (add a small bit of flour to help soak grease).  Add 3 chopped hard boiled eggs. 
Cheese -  8 oz. ricotta cheese; scant finely chopped white onion-raw; 1 raw egg; pinch of salt--mix together. 

Step 3: Rolling the Dough; Filling; Creating that Special Braid 

Roll out dough paper thin; cut with biscuit cutter or coffee mug.  Stretch the dough into a thin, round disc.  Fill the dough with either meat or cheese filling.  Leave enough room to seal - folding the dough over and pressing the edges together.  Create a braid border to seal the edges, folding over the dough in small sections. 

Step 4: Boil - Boil gently for ten minutes, or until all pierogi are floating.  Drain.  Arrange on a platter so they won't stick together. 

Step 5: Pan Fry - We use a European style butter - generous portions!  Pan fry the Pierogi until golden brown and crisp. 


Step 6: Enjoy!


We eat these with a dollop of sour cream.  My mouth is watering just thinking about our wonderful tradition!