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Tatar Belyashi with meat

Tatar Belyashi (Fried Meat Pies)

These are seriously tasty, but also seriously rich — best saved for a hearty lunch. Belyashi only look complicated; they're actually easy to make at home. Beef is the best choice, though lamb works wonderfully too — just pick a lean cut with no fat. Go easy on the seasoning in the filling so the flavor of the meat really comes through.

prika

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Beef

400

Onion

Yeast

Water

Vegetable oil (for the dough)

1.5

Salt

All-purpose flour

2.5

Ground black pepper

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 32 % 13 g

Fats 15 % 6 g

Carbohydrates 54 % 22 g

188 kcal

GI: 5 / 0 / 95

Cooking method

Step 1:

Gather the listed ingredients. Use lean beef or lamb — not pork. Be sure to trim all the sinew and membrane from the meat, rinse it, and cut it into pieces. Peel and rinse a small onion (or half a large one).
Step 2:

Pour warm water into a bowl and add the salt, a third of the flour, and the dry yeast. Stir well to make a sponge. The water should be no warmer than about 85°F (30°C). Let the sponge sit for 20 minutes.
Step 3:

Meanwhile, run the cut, rinsed meat through a meat grinder — but do NOT grind the onion!
Step 4:

After 20 minutes, pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the sponge and add the rest of the flour, holding back a little for rolling. Knead into a smooth yeast dough.
Step 5:

Transfer it to a plate or bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rest for about 20–30 minutes. Don't skip this — otherwise the dough inside the belyashi will still be raw after frying.
Step 6:

Cut the onion into small dice and add it to the ground beef along with salt and ground black pepper. A little dried thyme is also delicious in the filling. Gently mix everything together.
Step 7:

Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them into rounds on a lightly floured surface. Shape the filling into large balls, like meatballs, and place one in the center of each round.
Step 8:

Dampen the dough around the meat ball with water and gather it up over the filling like a little basket — but leave the center open so the filling shows through. Since the dough doubles as it fries, it helps to build the filling up a bit higher than the dough.
Step 9:

Heat plenty of oil in a pot until it's nearly simmering. Carefully lower each belyash in open-side down — down, not up, don't mix it up! In the hot oil it instantly forms a crust that seals in the filling. Fry for about 1–2 minutes over medium heat.
Step 10:

Flip each one over with a slotted spoon and fry for the same amount of time on the other side. Don't flip them again after that, or the oil will spatter as the juices run out.
Step 11:

Transfer the finished belyashi to paper towels to drain the excess oil, and let them cool a bit before serving.

Tatar belyashi are juicy, delicious, and come together in one smooth batch! They're traditionally served with fresh vegetables, various sauces, and fresh herbs. They stay so juicy because the surface seals as it fries — which is exactly why you fry them open-side down first!