Meat filling for dumplings
Description
The dish is prepared without unnecessary complications. The dumpling filling is made from two types of meat—pork and beef. We will also need spices and onion. The meat should be fresh and free of sinews. The finished dish can be served at the table.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Since today we're going to prepare dumpling filling, and along with it, why not, the dumplings themselves, we'll start, of course, with the dough. To make the dough, combine egg, water, salt, and add flour half a cup at a time, mixing thoroughly.
- 2
Step 2
Place the thickened dough on a floured surface for kneading.
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Step 3
Gradually adding flour, knead the dough until firm – the dough should easily come away from your hands (when you cut the dough, it should be smooth and uniform, like plasticine). Cover the dough ball with a plastic bag and let it rest for about 40 minutes.
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Step 4
We thoroughly wash the beef, dry it with towels, and trim off all unnecessary tendons, membranes, and any unattractive pieces of meat (you really don't need to be frugal here, since all the trimmings will be used for making meat broth).
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Step 5
Next, prepare the meat grinder and pass the meat through the coarse attachment. My husband once read somewhere that for a truly Russian version of dumplings, the filling should be finely chopped, so now he sometimes diligently minces the meat with a cleaver.
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Step 6
Let's continue preparing the filling. As soon as the beef has been chopped into mince, it's time to work on the pork. It doesn't need much trimming, as it mostly consists of fat rather than connective tissue. However, if anything about its appearance doesn't suit you, it's better to cut it off and add it to the broth. In my opinion, having fat in dumplings is very important, because it's the fat that makes the filling softer, more tender, and juicier. So, chop the pork into mince. If, while chopping with a cleaver, the fatty pieces start sticking to the blade, simply warm the cleavers for a few seconds under a stream of hot tap water.
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Step 7
After both the beef and pork have been chopped, transfer the meat to a deep bowl, where the preparation of the mince will continue.
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Step 8
Peel the onion and cut it into very small cubes. For this, you need a very sharp knife and a bit of skill. Generally, I cut each onion in half, then make crosswise cuts across the fibers about 3 mm apart, but I don't cut all the way through on one side (so the onion half doesn't fall apart). Finally, I slice the onion crosswise across the previously made cuts.
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Step 9
Add finely chopped onion to the minced meat.
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Step 10
From a bunch of parsley, cut off the stems. Instead of parsley, you can also use young nettle.
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Step 11
Put the herbs into a bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle. Let the herbs sit in the boiling water for a minute, then drain the parsley into a colander and let the water drain off.
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Step 12
After the parsley has cooled, chop it finely with a knife.
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Step 13
Add parsley to our minced meat, then add about 1 tablespoon of salt (without a heap) and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly.
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Step 14
Then add flour to the meat to give the filling the "necessary viscosity" and mix once again.
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Step 15
Take 70 milliliters of meat broth (if you don't have broth, you can substitute it with plain water), pour it into the minced meat, and mix thoroughly once again.
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Step 16
Now that our filling and dough are ready, let's start shaping the dumplings. Cut off approximately one-fourth of the dough and roll it out into a thin sheet about 2 mm thick. Then use a small glass or a shot glass to cut out circles.
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Step 17
Place the filling in the center and tightly seal the edges of the dumpling.
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Step 18
Place the finished dumplings on a floured surface and put them in the freezer. Once the dumplings are frozen, transfer them into a bag and seal it tightly. If you plan to cook them all immediately, there's no need to freeze them.
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Step 19
Pelmeni should be boiled in a large pot so they can freely "swim" in well-salted water for 7-9 minutes from the moment the water starts boiling.