Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Cookies for Christmas?, 0 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Bec---

I just Googled "Latvian Bacon Rolls"----aka--"Piragi". Interesting that they are called that--
but I totally "get it"....The shape does not matter...Just that ours are always in a crescent.

There are many, many recipes offered in the link below. They are not all THAT different from than the ones I make.
But--I do not add sour cream nor eggs to my dough. I think I have eaten something similar made with
this kind of dough and sour cream makes a very tasty dough. I once had some delectable tiny Pirags
made with cream cheese and sour cream dough but stuffer with mushrooms. Yummmmy!
I only use the egg to smear the tops before baking. Gives them a nice shine.

Re the filling--I believe in the "olden days" bacon alone was used, as ham, as we know it today, did not exist.
There is a lot of lean meat in country bacon--so it would make outstanding Pirags. The fat would just melt into
the dough surrounding the meat. Yumm...
I can tell you that, in a pinch, you can use "Crescent Rolls" with good success. You can get 16 Pirags out of one tube.
Just cut each dough-triangle in half, shape it into a round patty and put the meat in--and pinch shut
That is enough to wrap the meat into. I tried "Pillsbury Grands" once and found that dough to be way too salty.

Get a Ham slice--and about 1lb of thick sliced DRY (as in bulk) bacon and one small onion.
Dice everything in tiny dice and mix together sprinkling Black Pepper as you do.
You may use up 3 or 4 tubes of Crescent Rolls to do this. That will do.
Making this dough from scratch is not all that hard.

As with many things we bake--everyone has their "real" recipe.

Check out this link below--I never knew that these were on "Cooks.com"....
[HYPERLINK@]

Bec--It is funny that, when anyone talks about "Pierogis" it is assumed that they are the Polish type--filled
with mashed potatoes and cheese, cooked and fried.

The Estonians usually fill their "Pirukad" with meat. Think a leftover Pot Roast shredded and ground with some of the
veggies left in there. Sometimes veal is added, adding a bit of boiled egg on top of the meat before pinching it shut.
Then they deep fry them.
That is the way they made them until I came along and taught them the Latvian way. My hubby and I were involved for 25 years in the whole Estonian life here. FUN! FUN!!! FUN!!! Two decades of partying......
They have a club in Baltimore and we used to hold annual Festivals downtown. We baked hundreds of "pirags" under my supervision--
in the commercial-sized kitchen at the Estonian House. Now--that is the only way they make them.
We would grind up a couple Mashes hams and use all the fat on it as well.
Cut up 10lbs of Onions and make enough dough to fill a commercial mixer. About 6 women would work all day making these.
"Rejects" would be our lunch....:o)

I just wet to the Estonian Christmas bazaar--and they were selling these for $1.50 each. OUCH!
A bit pricey--besides--they do not fill them with a good amount of meat--so the first bite may be just dough.
Can't be stingy here.....The filling is what makes these!

Sorry to be so long-winder again. I just cannot write anything short.....Me and Ruby....we always have a lot to say....

Gita

OOps---That link did not work. Please just Google "Latvian Bacon Rolls" and there will be
many versions to look at. Pick the one you like the best....

Like this; http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/170/piragi-(latvian-baco...
This seems rather like mine....

Or this; http://www.food.com/recipe/piragi-latvian-bacon-rolls-466345

There are other recipes as well.

This message was edited Dec 11, 2012 10:17 AM