Bierocks are soft rolls stuffed with ground beef, cabbage and onions. This recipe kicks things up a notch with sauerkraut and gruyère.
Sometimes it’s the simplest of ingredients that make for the BEST recipes. This handy little meat pocket calls for 10 pantry staples. I think it’s safe to bet you probably already have most on hand. Go ahead and mosey on over to your kitchen to check… I’ll be here when you return. 😉
Bierocks, if you’ve never heard of them, are the unofficial food of the Volga Germans (ethnic Germans who lived in isolation in Russia for 150 years). They’re also popular in the Midwest, where they are referred to as Runzas.
PREFERRED INGREDIENTS FOR BIEROCKS:
A key factor in my grandma’s recipe for bierocks is the ratio of ground meat and sauerkraut. You truly want it to be half-and-half. 16 ounces of ground beef (or a pound), 16 ounces of drained sauerkraut. I like to use Bavarian sauerkraut because the addition of caraway seeds, however the regular kind works as well.
I can’t remember if my grandma added shredded cheese to hers, but I’ve always added it to mine. I mean, you can never go wrong with the addition of cheese. Right?Gruyère is my favorite for this recipe, but Swiss and Jarlsberg are tasty substitutions.
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HOW TO ASSEMBLE BIEROCKS:
Traditional recipes require you to make the dough, however I take a shortcut and use store-bought biscuits. Roll them out flat on a floured surface and place some filling in the middle. Voila… you just saved yourself an hour worth of bread prep!
HOW TO SEAL BIEROCKS:
I’ve always folded mine together like little steam buns. Then I bake them, seam side down, until golden. The biscuit package will advise that you to cook them between 11 – 15 minutes, but since these are stuffed with the filling, they will take a little longer. Usually between 17 – 19 minuets depending on your oven.
DO BIEROCKS FREEZE WELL?
Of course! This recipe will make 16 of these little gems. Not gonna lie, I’m known to hoover down one or two before freezing the rest. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months, but I promise that they won’t last that long. Simply allow them to come to room temperature on a cooling rack, and then wrap them individually with cling wrap. Pop them in a freezer bag and voila… you’ve got yourself a quick and easy meal for weeknights where you don’t have time to cook.
Bierocks are soft rolls stuffed with ground beef, cabbage and onions. This recipe kicks things up a notch with sauerkraut and gruyère.
Serves: 16 Bierocks
Ingredients
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Cumin
6 oz. Gruyère, shredded
16 oz. Bavarian Sauerkraut
2 cans Grands Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits
All Purpose Flour, as needed
Instructions
Sauté ground beef with sliced onion, minced garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne and cumin until browned and crumbly. About 10 minutes. Drain the excess fat and allow the meat to cool in the strainer for a few minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F, shred the Gruyère and drain the sauerkraut.
Gently mix together the ground beef mixture, shredded cheese and sauerkraut in a large bowl.
Roll out each biscuit flat on a floured surface. Place 3 - 4 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each biscuit and fold up the sides like a steam bun to seal.
Place uncooked bierocks, seam side down, split among two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 17 - 19 minutes, or until golden. Allow the bierocks to cool on a wired baking rack for 2 - 3 minutes before consuming. Enjoy!
NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
If you’re a fan of horseradish, I highly recommend the addition of it! Totally optional but tastes fantastic. Mixing in 2 – 4 tablespoons with the filling should do the trick, depending on your heat preference.
When cooking this recipe, I usually prepare one baking sheet and cook them while I’m prepping the second baking sheet. I find that the coloring is better, and they cook more evenly when the sheets are baked individually.
If you happen to freeze these: Place them in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Then the next day, place them in a 300F oven or toaster oven for about 10 – 15 minutes to reheat. If they start to brown too quickly, you can place a piece of foil over to top. I don’t recommend placing them in the microwave, as I feel like they get soggy.
Traditional Bierocks recipes are made with sautéed cabbage. If you prefer to go that route, I’d add a little pickle juice to deglaze the pan, as it will help make the cabbage tangy. The savory-tang mixture in this recipe is my fav!
Bierocks—pronounced bee-rock and also known as runzas—are a German/Eastern European roll that made its way to the American Midwest. They're similar to the Russian pirozhki, another popular European meat-stuffed pastry. They vary in shape, but the most popular ones are usually round or rectangular.
There is debate about the actual etymology of the word bierock. Traditionally it was supposed that bierock was derived from the Russian word pirog. However, a recent theory speculates that the word bierock may be derived from börek.
Better still, bierocks freeze amazingly well, and since each batch makes almost four dozen of them, they are perfect for days when I need to pack lunch quickly but don't have anything else prepared.
Bierock. a German-inspired pastry filled with ground meat, onions, and cabbage, baked until golden. What is "bierock"? Bierock, also known as runza or krautburger, is a savory pastry that originated in Eastern Europe and is popular in several regions of the United States.
Many sources agree that Sally Everett invented the name "runza" although it is likely she adapted it from an existing name for the sandwich; either the krautrunz, an older, different German name for the bierock, or the Low German runsa, meaning "belly", alluding to the gently rounded shape of the pouch pastry.
Bierocks are a Kansas dish, and Kansans love them. But if they try to get them outside of the state (save Nebraska, where they're more commonly known as runzas) they'll likely be met with puzzled stares.
You could have any kind of sweet spread on your Brötchen, for example, honey, Nutella or jam are very popular choices in Germany. A lot of people also have homemade jam, as making your own jam is a very common thing to do in Germany. Most people probably have their jam on a white roll or with a croissant.
Bierocks are soft rolls stuffed with ground beef, cabbage and onions. This recipe kicks things up a notch with sauerkraut and gruyère. Bierocks, if you've never heard of them, are the unofficial food of the Volga Germans (ethnic Germans who lived in isolation in Russia for 150 years).
Did you know bierocks are almost exclusively known to Kansas? German immigrants who found their new home in Kansas brought bierocks to the Midwest. Although, in different regions there may be variations in ingredients or shape, Kansans make theirs with only beef and Cabbage stuffed in a round roll.
Capriotti's quickly became known for its signature sandwich, the Bobbie®, named after the Margolets' Aunt Bobbi Capriotti. The award- winning, nationally-acclaimed menu item is a combination of in-house roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo – basically, it is Thanksgiving dinner in a submarine sandwich.
Every Runza® Sandwich starts out as an Original: a perfect blend of spices to season the ground beef, mixed with cabbage and onions, inside bread that we bake at our store every morning.
"Bierock" is more commonly used in parts of Kansas and the Dakotas for these round handhelds, while Nebraskans favor the term "runza" for the typically rectangular shape made famous by Runza restaurants.
To reheat, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place foil-wrapped bierocks directly on oven rack until heated through, about 10 minutes if refrigerated or 60 minutes if frozen.
The Kansas crowd kept preparing bierocks as they had for years, passing down the recipe and solidifying its place in Kansas' history. In Nebraska, however, the bierock morphed into something called a runza. Runzas have the same ingredients but are usually rectangular and can include extra ingredients like cheese.
Similar to the pasty, a runza is basically a dough-filled pocket. The main difference is the dough used for runzas contains yeast, so it's more bread-like. According to the Chicago Tribune, the runza dates back to the late 1700s when Catherine the Great enticed German craftsmen and farmers to settle in Russia.
Runzas are also known as bierocks. They're a staple recipe among US regions with strong Eastern European and German heritage. Variations of this recipe fill all the local church cookbooks. Just like my Grandma's German Spaetzle recipe.
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