Meat pierogies, served with sour cream, kapusta and onion relish.

Olga Łozińska and me! 

During a big cycling trip I did in East Europe, I got a lot of inspiration for Eastern European food. I met so many nice people that also cooked for me and tough me how to cook some really good food! In Poland I met Olga, I arrived at her place so dirty, cold and wet. And I will never forget how nice she was with me. I had the opportunity to eat a delicious Pierogi made by her mom!  Now all the time I eat or made Pierogi I remember of Olga. Good memories!! :)

Ingredients for the filling:

1kg of pork shoulder
1 large white onion
1 large potato
Few dried porcini mushrooms
1 bayleaf
10 whole pepper corns
Few drops of Przyprawa (Polish) or Wurze (German)... Maggi seasoning in English...
Salt & Pepper

In a big pan, cook all the ingredients together until the meat is tender and cooked. It will be about one hour.
Take the meat out of the pan and using a food processor make a paste with all the ingredients, but not the potato. The potato needs to be squished with a fork. Mix all the ingredients and add the Przyprawa and a little bit of the stock if the filling is to dry.


For the dough:

4 cups of flour
Salt
Warm water

Mix all the ingredients until smooth and not sticky. With a rolling pin open the dough and cut in circles (you can use a beer glass to cut).  Make the pierogis and place them on a parchment paper so they will not stick on the table.
Cook the pierogis for about 10 minutes or until they float. Fry in butter or pork lard.


For the Kapusta:

2 cups sour kraut
1 tbsp pork lard
1 clove garlic
2 drops of Przyprawa
1/2 white onion chopped
Bacon thin sliced

Fry the bacon, onions and garlic on the lard. Add the sour kraut and the drops of Przyprawa. Add salt and pepper.