2 lb Ground meat – preferably
-lamb (up to 3)
1/4 c Flour
2 lg Onions, sliced lengthwise
2 c Well drained sauerkraut
1/2 ts Caraway seed (up to 2)
1/4 ts Dill seed
2 tb Quality prepared mustard (I
-like Dijon)
Canned mushrooms to taste –
-highly optional
Fresh or thawed, frozen
-bread dough for a 2 pound
-loaf of bread
Source: Ron Parker inspired by Ara Johnson of Elk Mountain, Wyoming
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a baking stone if you have one.
Fry and crumble meat in a frying pan until moisture is gone. Drain any
excess fat (and complain to your butcher if there is any!). Sprinkle flour
over crumbly meat and stir until it coats the meat. Add onion and kraut,
and fry on low to medium heat while stirring. When mixture is dry, remove
from heat and stir in caraway seed, dill seed, and mustard. Drained, canned
mushroom bits and pieces can be added as desired.
On a floured work surface, roll out bread dough to about a 1 foot by 2 foot
oval. Brush center (not edges) with oil or solid shortening. Spread *cool*
meat mixture down the center. Fold the ends inward, pinching the dough
together where it touches other dough. Then fold the sides up and pinch
together to make a wavy ridge down the top line. You can pinch together in
many creative ways of course. I prefer to not puncture the loaf top with a
fork, but if you like that, what not?
Transfer to a bakers peel or cookie sheet, either one covered with corn
meal. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. Slide onto baking stone in oven, or, put
whole cookie sheet in oven, or, transfer the original stuffed loaf to an
oval baking dish and put it in the oven after a brief rest. All ways work.
Bake until the outer crust is golden brown – about 30 minutes, but ovens
are individuals. When it looks right, it probably is right. For serving,
use a bread knife with a serrated or wavy cutting edge to reduce breaking
up of the top of the crust. If in a baking dish, score the top with the
bread knife, then use a wide spatula to cut the bottom parts, and to serve
pieces
Alternate: Divide the bread dough into smaller pieces and make individual
piroshki of the size that suits you – making kraut buns. The buns are
wonderful finger food for a trip or a picnic. They also freeze well for
refreshing in an oven or eating at room temp. I like to spread a bit more
mustard on either the bread slices or buns before eating. When travelling,
the mustard can be injected inside the buns with one of those plastic
containers with a snout on it to reduce the mess.
Yields
8 -10