Chebureki – Ukrainian Meat Pies

As the season is changing from hot Summer days to cooler Autumn temperatures, I thought that perhaps you may enjoy a warm Street Food! Although I have not been to Ukraine, I have heard of Chebureki.

There seem to be many variations to this simple street food.  I first heard of Chebureki from a fellow Ukrainian language school classmate.  My friend raved about them.  My Ukrainian school teacher then told us how she made them.

I went in search of this recipe and after trying a few other recipes posted on several Russian and Ukrainian recipe sites, I have come up with my own rendition of Chebureki.  I hope you enjoy them!

Dough Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 1/2 tsp. white sugar
• 6 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 – 1/2 cups water, hot
• 1 tsp. vodka (optional)

Into a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, oil and vodka.  If you prefer, leave out the vodka or just drink a shot!

Heat the water to very hot, but not boiling and pour small amounts slowly into the dry ingredients, stirring the entire time.  It will be sticky.  Mix well to combine and then tip out onto a counter surface that has been lightly dusted with flour.  Knead until the dough is soft and smooth, no longer sticky.  If too wet, incorporate a bit more flour. Place in plastic wrap or place in a covered bowl.  

Now it’s time to make the filling.

 

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cup beef and pork ground meat
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp. oil (Crisco, Mazola)
• 1 cup Salsa (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 tsp. of various herbs or if you love spicy foods, add hot sauce (optional)

On a medium temperature setting, add the oil, chopped onions, garlic and ground meat to a fry pan.  Cook until the meat is fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from the stove.  Drain the excess fats and then stir in the salsa.  If you are using the hot sauce, add it now as well.  I have found that 1 teaspoon was plenty hot enough, but if you like spicy heat, add more.  Set this mixture aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8″ thickness.  If you are making appetizer-size chebureki, use a 2-3″ cookie cutter (you can also use a glass or an empty soup can) to cut out circles.  This is the same procedure as when you cut dough out for perogies.

Place 1 -2 tsp. of the cooked meat filling onto the circles and fold over, sealing the edges.  Ensure the edges are tightly closed.  Cover with a tea towel to prevent them from drying out as you continue making the chebureki.  This recipe will make 24 – 36 small (2″ diameter) or 6 – 8 (4″ diameter).

In a large fry pan, heat the oil on a medium temperature.  Test to see if the oil is ready and hot enough by just dropping a very small bit of dough into the oil.  It should sizzle and float.

Fry the chebureki on both sides until a golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Drain onto paper towels to soak up any extra oil.

Serve immediately.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze up to a month.  These can be reheated in an oven for 10 minutes or put into the microwave for 3 minutes.

 

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Sticky’s – The Gathering Place

I woke up this morning and decided that My Man and I would have a breakfast of toast, scrambled eggs, sausages and hash browns.  This reminds me of a Sticky’s breakfast.  My uncle Metro and I have enjoyed many delicous Skillet breakfasts at Sticky’s.

Sticky’s ?  If you are not familiar with Sticky’s restaurant then you are much younger than me and never had the chance to stop in at Dauphin’s morning gathering place.  Yes, it was Sticky’s diner on Main Street.

Sticky’s was a family run business that was really and mainly a garage.  If you needed new tires, a truck repair or just an oil change, Sticky was the guy to see.

I don’t know how the restaurant got started.  I’m going to assume it was because of the need for a place to have a coffee while your vehicle was in the shop.  In the Winter months, it was always a great place to warm up and get a hot cooked meal.  Hey, these are my memories and I may have it wrong.  I don’t know.  Maybe you can email me and share your experiences too.

What I do know is that Sticky’s was a gathering place.  In my experience, many people, mainly the local farmers came into Sticky’s for a cup of coffee and a slice of homemade apple pie or even a skillet breakfast.  Breakfast was served all day but more importantly, the local news was shared all day.  There was really no need for Twitter, or Facebook or whatever else is out now, because if you wanted the local weather forecast, the latest wheat or hog prices or just the local gossip about the town’s people, you just had to gather at Sticky’s.

Alas, Sticky’s is no more.  But that doesn’t mean that the local town folk have no place to gather.  Communities like Dauphin need places to help the people come together and share in the local news.  It’s healthy isn’t it?  As we all age, and you will, it’s even more important!

Come to think of it, on my last visit to Dauphin, there has been a replacement.  Next time you drive through, be sure to stop in at the one and only Tim Hortons in town.  But put away your cell phones and don’t bother to read your emails.  You will learn more from the local people while you enjoy your coffee.

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