Pirozhki with meat filling

For centuries, pirozhki have remained part of Russian home cooking: they are baked in the oven or fried in a pan. As early as the beginning of the 19th century, variants with mushrooms and onion, as well as with salmon and other fish, were known. Today, among the familiar fillings are meat, cabbage, potato, egg with green onion, apples, and berries. Their small size makes pirozhki convenient both for a separate snack and as an addition to soup.

In Russian pierogi and pierozhki pies are basically the same; the only difference is the size: pierogi are large pies, and pierozhki are small, sometimes one-bite. Initially the pierogi were large and served on the communal table for the holidays. Peasants in Russia were baking one large pirog for the whole family, so everyone broke off a piece according to their status. The largest went to the head of the family, the smaller to the sons, for the women — even smaller, and for the children — the smallest. Over time the housewives came up with the idea of making small pies — pierozhki — that are convenient to take as a travel or field meal.
There are closed and open, baked and fried, round, oval and triangular pirogi and pirozhki, multi-layered kurniks and kulebyaks, open-topped pies, cheesecakes with cottage cheese, Ossetian pies and much more. The names of many ancient molds are now forgotten, but the variety of fillings and shapes is amazing. Some of the traditional fillings are meat, stewed creamy cabbage and egg, potatoes with fried onions, rice and egg, fish. Pierozhki with meat filling are great to accompany a bowl of hot broth or with a cup of hot black tea.

Pies are a unique dish in which the dough harmoniously complements any filling. That is why they are found in cuisines across the globe. I personally prefer pies with bold, flavorful fillings—such as lamb, scallions, pickles, or wild mushrooms.

However, from a professional standpoint, I have a special appreciation for the multi-layered pies characteristic of Russian cuisine, such as kurnik, kulebyaka, and the like

represented by

Andrey Makhov

cooking
time 40-50 min

difficulty
level Medium

key
ingredients 7

Ingredients

For the dough

flour

1 kg

sugar

100 g

warm milk

500 ml

vegetable oil

100 ml

egg yolks

2 pcs

tablespoon of dry

1 tbsp

yeast

1 tbsp

salt

2 tsp

Meat filling

minced beef or pork and beef mix

500 g

onion, finely chopped

150 g

onion, very finely grated (for extra moisture)

50 g

butter

20 g

vegetable oil

20 g

garlic, pressed or finely grated

1 clove

sugar

1 tsp

water or broth

100 ml

salt and pepper to taste

Servings: for 40 small pirozhki (50 g of dough each)

for 15–20 small pirozhki (with 40–50 g filling each)

Recipe

Dough

Sift the flour through a fine sieve into a separate container and prepare the starter. In a glass or small cup, combine 2 teaspoons of flour (with a heaped mound), 1/2 cup of warm milk, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and the yeast.

Mix all the ingredients until smooth, then leave the starter to rise for 10-15 minutes. The yeast will wake up and begin to work, causing the mixture to double in size.

Pour warm milk into the sifted flour, add the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and the activated starter. Mix all the ingredients together and knead the dough for a long time using your hands or a food processor, gradually adding warm vegetable oil. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.

To prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, grease them with oil and knead the dough until it comes off your hands easily. Once the dough is well-kneaded, form it into a ball and place it in a large bowl.

Sprinkle the dough with a small amount of sifted flour and cover it with a clean linen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about an hour.

Meat filling

Heat vegetable oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add 150 g chopped onion and cook until soft and lightly golden (about 5–7 minutes). Add minced meat, break it into small pieces, and fry until almost fully cooked, stirring often. Mix in the grated onion, garlic, salt, pepper and sugar. stir well.

Gradually pour in 80–100 g water or broth, a little at a time, stirring until the mixture is soft, moist, and slightly jam‑like but not watery. Cook on medium‑low for 10–12 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely before using for pirozhki, so it does not leak or break the dough when you shape them.

Shaping and baking

Each requires about 50 grams of dough and 50-60 grams of filling. On a lightly floured surface, take a 50 gram dough ball and flatten it into a small circle. Roll it thin at the edges, a bit thicker in the center so it’s easy to seal. Fold the dough circle in half over the filling so it makes a half‑moon. Pinch the curved edge shut, starting in the center and working toward each end to remove air and make a tight seal. Gently shape the pirozhok into a neat oval or round form, making sure the seam is on the bottom.

10.

Preheat the oven to about 190–200°C and bake for 20 minutes.

11.

Small pirozhki are served warm or cold in a basket with a napkin.

where
to try

Mari Vanna

Moscow

Authentic Soviet cuisine in excellent execution: famous salads like Olivier, herring under a fur coat, and mimosa; borscht, pirozhki, and of course, vodka — without which Soviet cuisine would not be complete.

Dom Rossiyskoy Kukhni (House of Russian Cuisine)

Moscow

A food hall on the VDNKh grounds. 15 counters of regional cuisine from Kamchatka to Kaliningrad under one roof, cooking masterclasses and tastings throughout the day. A rare format: the gastronomy that usually takes a month of travel across the country — covered in a single lunch.

Turandot Restaurant

Moscow

Turandot Restaurant is a palace in the Baroque chinoiserie style, where dinner is served to opera and theatrical performances. The building on Tverskoy Boulevard was rebuilt in the early 2000s: the interior took six years to assemble, the tapestries reproduce engravings by François Boucher, and the halls are decorated with genuine 18th-century antiques. The programme runs by calendar: opera dinners, theatrical evenings such as The Phantom of the Opera, when actors from Moscow theatres turn the central hall into an opera stage, and lectures on the history of luxury paired with a set menu from the chef. Seats for performances sell out in advance; always check the current schedule.