Ever heard of a Bierock?

Ever heard of a Bierock?  Thats the question I asked several coworkers in my office.  Nope, no one had.  Amazing!  I was stunned. Ok, maybe people around here call them Runza's.  I asked if they'd ever heard of a Runza...nope.  Not a one!  Hmm...I always thought Bierocks were a German food and I thought there were alot of people around here with German heritage.  I was surprised no one knew what I was talking about.  Probably the only reason I knew what they were is because they were part of the rotation of "delicacies" we were served in the public school system when I was growing up...in Kansas. I remember dipping them in ketchup and mustard.   Oh yea,...and there were also actually a couple of fast food joints in town that sold them.  Ok, so if you don't know what a Bierock is,...(Pronounced like beer-rock)its  a sort of meat and cabbage filled bread pocket.  It isn't  a particularly fancy food.  Just sort of a comfort type food I suppose.  Kind of like the Pasties you find up  north but maybe a bit dryer.  I searched the Internet and found a recipe that sounds pretty much like the Bierocks we used to get in school. I want to make these for my husband but don't want to scare him off by making a bad first attempt.  I'm hoping this recipe pans out.  If anyone out there has their own family recipe they'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.

EASY BIEROCKS

24 frozen yeast rolls
2 medium onions, chopped
2½ to 3 lbs. ground beef
¾ head cabbage, chopped
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Shredded sharp cheddar (optional)
Spicy brown mustard

Set rolls out to rise per package instructions. Brown onion and
ground beef together. Drain. Return to skillet and add cabbage. Cook
until cabbage is wilted and soft, about 10 minutes. Season to taste
with garlic powder, salt and pepper. When rolls have risen, roll each one out individually to about a
six-inch diameter. Place about ¼ cup of meat mixture in the center. Top
with cheese. Pinch closed and place pinched side down on a greased
cookie sheet. Bake at temperature indicated on rolls package until the bierocks begin to brown on top — about 20
minutes.

Serve with a side of spicy brown mustard and ketchup for dipping.

TIP*  If the meat filling seems dry after browning the meat and wilting the cabbage down, add a couple of teaspoons of flour and a bit of water to the meat mixture to give it a bit more  "gravy" so as not to have dry crumbly filling. It just will stick to itself a bit more.  Be sure to let the flour sort of cook a bit so it doesn't end up tasting like raw flour.  Then proceed with the recipe as written.

Comments

[tzOktoberfest]

Hmmm... that's sounds like an interesting one. What is a yeast roll, like a sourdough dinner roll or something?

Cabbage is an acquired, decidedly maybe a grown-up taste. Did the kids in school really like that one?

Funny the recipe doesn't call for any beer, I checked and bier does indeed translate from german to english as beer.
Was there any doubt...

[Maura]

The women at our church make them once year and I always order about 2 dozen. I like mine with hot sauce and plenty of it. I'm from Kansas, but didn't know that they were more particular to this area. Been doing some reading up on this one tonight. My boyfriend and I disagree on how it's pronounced. Apparently, I'm right.

[Shauna]

My family, who came from Ireland many, many years ago, has been making these forever! I remember eating them as a child. I still love them. Every St. Patrick's Day we make them. I think each country has their own name for these fabulous things. We called them cabbage rolls or cabbage burgers. If you haven't had them, make them! The recipe seems simple, but they are delicious!

[trish]

hey, i'm from kansas to and we used to buy bierocks all the time and freeze, great snack or meal. i never thiught i would find a recipe belive me i'm gonna try it

[trish]

hey, i'm from kansas to and we used to buy bierocks all the time and freeze, great snack or meal. i never thiught i would find a recipe belive me i'm gonna try it

[Heather]

lol, I guess I'm not the only Kansan who thought it was weird that no one else knew what a bierock is. But they were brought to this area by the German Mennonites, which is why not all German descendants know what they are.

[bohan]

When cabbage is cooked it actually takes on a sweet flavor. My step-grandmother is Polish and our family recipe is exactly like this one. We use frozen loaves of white (sweet) bread.

[Krista]

1 1/2 lb hamburger
1 small onion
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
1 16oz can sauerkraut rinsed with cold water and drained.
1 pkg onion soup mix
((1 pkg Rhoads frozen rolls.. let thaw))

Cook onion and hambuerger in skillet until done.
Combine remaining ingr...edients....except rolls.
Let mixture cool slightly before placing in dough.

For each beirock take two rolls. Flatten each one out until they, together, cover your hand. Please two spoonfuls of mixture in the middle of dough and pull edges up and together. Place on lightly greased baking sheet with secured side down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. ((may be gross but I even like these cold.. driving to work))

[P]

Thanks for sharing your recipe Krista! Sounds yummy!

[Kathy Dolgan]

Sold at Tastee Freeze in Great Bend Kansas late 60's and early 70's.

[Donna Terry]

My mother-in-law, Nellie, gave me this recipe for bierock shortly after I married my husband. They are from Kansas and if I remember correctly she received it from neighbors that I think were Germans when my husband was a young boy. Not sure about that though. I always double the recipe and they keep in the freezer very well. Just wrap them individually and take them out and pop them in the microwave to heat. Yummy!

BIEROCKS

Filling

3/4 lb hamburger meat
1/4 sm head cabbage, chopped
1/2 can sauerkraut
1/2 sm onion, chopped
salt and pepper

Cook all together until HB meat is done and cabbage is cooked down and tender.

Coolrise Sweet Dough

2 1/2 - 3 c. flour
1/3 c. warm water
1 pkg. yeast
1/2 c. warm milk
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp. oleo (margarine)

Mix yeast and water until dissolved. Add milk, sugar, salt, egg and oleo. Add 1 1/2 c. flour. Mix well. Add rest of flour slowly and mix well. Knead. Let rise a couple of hours. Punch dough down and roll out. Cut in 6 or 8 inch squares. Fill, then pinch edges to seal. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until browned. Brush tops with melted butter. (they usually have to cook a little longer than the recipe calls for)
I have also used the Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix for the dough and it works just fine but doesn't have the same flavor as the coolrise sweet dough.