The 2013 students of The Culinary Institute of Montana are glad to be back in the kitchen after a long winter break spent with family and friends, engaging in hobbies, spending time in the kitchen and enjoying leisurely days with open schedules.
As a student in the culinary program, I’ve learned that many hours are spent on prepping ingredients and production, (an activity which you either love right away or you learn to love because, according to our instructors, if you don’t, the food/restaurant industry will be quite rough for you). Although not as glamorous or creative as plating food or menu planning, cooking and the prep work involved offer opportunities to work with ingredients in their purest form, untainted by fillers, artificial dyes, or chemicals. Being a student at The Culinary Institute of Montana has allowed me to be surrounded by fresh, exotic and specialty ingredients every time I walk into the kitchen. Even more meaningful are the skills I have learned that have taught me how to cook with each ingredient
To keep up with my culinary skills during winter break, I took time to explore my family heritage through food. I invite you to try a Polish favorite of mine. This recipe has been passed along in my family since the day my grandmother bought a community cookbook originally published in 1964 in Loup City, Nebraska, 45 miles from where I was born. So, here’s a recipe for Runzas, handmade rolls filled with the tender mellowness of sautéed cabbage and onion mingled with the comfort of warm seasoned ground beef. As a child, I loved pairing them with ketchup, but they are great on their own as well.
Dough:
- 2 cups lukewarm milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup soft softening
- 7 to 7 1/2 cups sifted flour
Filling:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large head of cabbage, shredded
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together milk, sugar and salt. Stir in yeast until incorporated.
Stir in eggs, shortening, and flour.
Let dough rise overnight under refrigeration.
Remove from refrigerator, punch down, and let rise a second time at room temperature.
Brown ground beef in sauté pan until crumbly.
Remove meat from pan, reserving enough fat in pan to coat bottom.
Sauté cabbage and onion in fat until soft and tender.
Add salt and pepper to taste, set mixture aside to cool.
After the dough’s second rising, portion out small bun sizes of dough and roll out to form small square shapes.
Place a small amount of filling in the center, and roll up to form a burrito shape.
Place on greased baking sheet smooth side up and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.