Pelmeni have been prepared in Siberia since time immemorialafter the onset of severe frosts - for future use. As a rule, all family members, young and old, participated in the preparation, and this process took several days. It is clear that the dumplings were prepared in whole bags. With such a volume, any culinary "tricks" would only slow down the preparation, which is why the recipe for Siberian dumplings is so simple.
Cooking dough
Only the following are used to prepare the dough:flour and water, that's all, and no salt. Flour on the table in a pile, in the middle a small depression, into which ice water is slowly poured, while gradually stirring. This is very important, in Siberia a bucket of water was specially put out in the cold and was used only when a crust of ice as thick as a finger appeared on top. The dough is kneaded to such a state that it itself begins to lag behind the hands, i.e. very steep. After kneading, we leave the dough alone for an hour, covering it with a towel.
Cooking stuffing
In Siberia, dumplings are made from three types of meat:beef, pork and elk. As a rule, the preparation of dumplings directly depended on a successful hunt - during the first severe frosts, Siberians hunted elk. This influenced the composition of the minced meat. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to get an elk, except in a zoo, so we replace elk with lamb. So - beef, lamb, pork, and again, no salt. The ratio of meat types is equal, one third of each. Pork must be selected so that the fat makes up no more than ten percent of the total weight. A mandatory, no, simply ironclad condition - the minced meat must be chopped. No meat grinders! Chopping minced meat for dumplings is a difficult task, usually men did it. The pieces of meat should be small enough and approximately the same in size - This is the main secret of real Siberian pelmeni. Siberian pelmeni is a recipe that does not include onions or any spices in the minced meat. This is a modern invention that has a detrimental effect on the taste of pelmeni. Onions will appear on the table a little later, as an ingredient in the dressing.
We make dumplings
Roll out the dough as thin as possible!As the Siberians say: "The dough is only needed so that the meat is in the pile." We "cut" circles with a glass, put a solid portion of minced meat on a circle of dough, so that we can pinch and twist the signature pelmeni "ear". We put the finished pelmeni on a board, previously sprinkled with flour, and in the cold, in our case in the freezer. We store it there until cooking. Preparation: Siberian pelmeni are not boiled anyhow, but in a steep beef broth, of course, you can also use water, but we will leave this method for store-bought semi-finished products. The broth must be well salted - remember, we did not put salt in the dough or minced meat? Do not use bouillon cubes under any circumstances - a decoction from cubes cannot be a broth by definition. As soon as the dumplings float to the surface, wait for the broth to start boiling again - a couple of minutes and it's time to take them out. Take the dumplings out, draining the broth completely. In Siberia, serving dumplings "with soup" will be regarded as a sign of disrespect, if not an insult. Traditionally, dumplings are served in large deep bowls - this is a tribute to tradition, so the host demonstrates his goodwill towards the guests and the desire to keep them longer. Nowadays, this method of serving may be inappropriate for many reasons, and therefore it is better to serve the dumplings in small, neat portions, lightly drizzled with melted butter. But as a cutlery for dumplings, you should serve a spoon and no forks! To prick a dumpling with a fork is blasphemy!
Dressing for dumplings
Siberian pelmeni are not eaten "dry", they are served with various dressings. Now it's onion's turn:
- Onion in cranberry juice onions, chopped onions;
- Finely chopped onion, soaked in cranberry juice;
- Onions and finely chopped salted mushrooms, mixed with sour cream;
- Fried onion in sour cream.
Naturally – sour cream:
- In its pure form;
- With grated cooked carrots;
- With finely chopped garlic, etc.
From here on, focus on your tastes and preferences.guests and household members. In any case, once you try real Siberian pelmeni, you will never buy a miserable semi-finished product in a store that illegally bears the name - pelmeni. Enjoy your meal! The recipe in brief:
Adviсe:
- Lamb can be replaced with rabbit meat or a large bird, for example a turkey or goose;
- In some areas of Siberia in minced meat add a small amount of cranberry or cranberry juice, add berries - cloudberries or blueberries. Such additives give the pelmeni a unique aftertaste.
- If you don't want to chop meat, then as a compromise - the largest meat grinder grate. But the mince, and therefore the dumplings, will not be so juicy, because any meat grinder "squeezes" the meat.
- Siberian dumplings need to be made so large that "one fits in a spoon."
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