German-Style Strudli with Meat and Potatoes

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make German-style strudli with meat and potatoes? Start by making the dough. Gather the ingredients for it. Instead of dry yeast you can use fresh compressed yeast — you'll need 10 grams. Use a refined, odorless oil.

2. Step 2:

   

   Warm the water to about 100–104°F (38–40°C) — it should feel pleasantly warm to the touch, but not hot. Pour it into a large bowl. Add the yeast, sugar, and salt, and pour in the vegetable oil. Whisk everything together well.

3. Step 3:

   

   Sift the flour into the bowl with the water. This not only removes any stray bits but also aerates the flour, which makes the dough lighter.

4. Step 4:

   

   Knead the dough by hand; it comes together into a ball fairly quickly and stops sticking to your hands. Knead until smooth and even. I kneaded mine right in the bowl.

5. Step 5:

   

   Once it reaches that point, shape it into a ball and put it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and set it in a warm place for an hour to rise. I put the dough in the (turned-off) oven — no drafts and nicely warm.

6. Step 6:

   

   While the dough rises, start on the main part — the meat and potatoes. Gather the ingredients. Use pork from a tender cut if you can; it'll taste better. I have pork loin (carbonade), but neck, shoulder, or tenderloin all work. Don't skip the cabbage — it gives the dish a special flavor. Wash and peel the vegetables.

7. Step 7:

   

   Rinse the meat and dry it well so excess moisture doesn't keep it from browning. Cut it into medium-sized pieces.

8. Step 8:

   

   Cut the onion into quarter-rings.

9. Step 9:

   

   Cut the carrot into rounds or sticks, whichever you prefer — or just grate it on the coarse holes of a box grater.

10. Step 10:

    

    Cut the potatoes into the same size pieces as the meat, so the dish looks nice.

11. Step 11:

    

    Heat a skillet over high heat and pour in vegetable oil. Add the meat and fry, stirring, until lightly golden, about 2 minutes.

12. Step 12:

    

    Add the onion and carrot to the meat. Keep frying the meat and vegetables over high heat, stirring, for a few more minutes.

13. Step 13:

    

    Then pour a cup of boiling water into the skillet and add salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cover the skillet. Let the meat simmer for 20 minutes.

14. Step 14:

    

    Then add the sauerkraut to the meat, stir, and continue simmering everything together for another 15 minutes.

15. Step 15:

    

    By now the dough will have doubled in size.

16. Step 16:

    

    Turn it out onto the counter and roll it into a sheet about 8 x 12 inches (20 x 30 cm) and 1/4 inch (5–7 mm) thick.

17. Step 17:

    

    Drizzle a little vegetable oil onto the dough and spread it around with a pastry brush.

18. Step 18:

    

    Roll the dough up along the long side and pinch the seam closed. Cut the roll into 8 or 10 pieces. I flattened each one slightly so the strudli looked neater.

19. Step 19:

    

    Spread a layer of potatoes over the meat and cabbage. Pour in a little more boiling water, just up to the level of the potatoes and no more — the strudli buns need to steam, not boil in water. Salt the potato layer.

20. Step 20:

    

    Set the strudli on the potatoes, leaving space between them since they'll grow as they cook.

21. Step 21:

    

    Cover the skillet and set the heat to just below medium. Steam the dish for 20 minutes, and whatever you do, don't lift the lid! That's the key to fluffy, fully cooked buns. If there's a hole in the lid, plug it with a small piece of dough.

22. Step 22:

    

    Here's how the strudli look in the end — they've grown a lot and filled all the free space. Turn off the heat and let the dish sit, covered, for another 20 minutes.

23. Step 23:

    

    Only now can you uncover it. The buns will deflate a bit, but they'll stay fluffy and soft. The dish is ready to serve.

24. Step 24:

    

    Plate up a serving of the meat and potatoes with a couple of strudli. Enjoy!