Main Dishes

Runzas

Happy 146th birthday, Nebraska! What better way to celebrate than making a homemade batch of runzas? Sunday afternoon.

For those who didn’t have the pleasure of growing up in the Cornhusker State, a runza is bread dough, filled with beef and cabbage. It’s essentially the German equivalent of a perogi or empanada.

I could say a lot more… but you’ll either love it or you won’t. :)

Homemade Runzas

Family recipe

Makes 15-20

Dough:
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour, divided
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shortening
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temperature

Filling:
1 1/2 – 2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 small or medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 small cabbage, finely chopped (NOTE: the finer the cabbage is chopped, the better it will cook down)
1/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons dry beef-onion soup mix
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper

Measure 3 cups flour and put into a large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Create a well in the center. Heat milk, water, and shortening to 90-110 degrees. Pour into the well, and sprinkle with yeast. Let set for 10 minutes until yeast is bubbly. Stir together. Add sugar, salt, eggs, and beat together. Using either a electric stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or a bowl and hands, work in additional flour and then knead until dough until smooth and elastic. Place into a greased bowl; cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel. Let rest in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down; let rest 10 minutes.

Brown ground beef and onion. Add cabbage, water, and soup mix; cover and cook until cabbage has cooked down to desired liking.

Drain thoroughly. Pour meat mixture into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss in cheese.

Roll dough onto a large lightly floured surface. Roll as thinly as possible. (To quote my Dad: “More filling, less bread!”) Cut into squares about 7×7″. Place about a 1/4-cup of meat mixture in center. Bring corners of dough to the center, pinching edges together tightly.

Pinch the dough edges together to seal. Make sure you drain the meat thoroughly. Extra liquid makes it difficult to seal the dough and keep the filling inside. Place smooth side up on lightly greased baking sheets. Let rise 30-45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

A few years ago, Sunday Suppers became a tradition among my friend circle. About once a month, we’d gather at someone’s house, usually on Sunday nights (though not always). We all liked to cook, and some of us have big egos and like to be the center of culinary attention (ahem). We set up a rotating schedule which allowed everyone to take a turn in the kitchen, sharing both the responsibility and the glory. We would eat, drink wine, and talk and laugh for hours. Sometimes these dinners would accompany field trips: wineries, farms, orchards, museums, movies, Target.

This is how friends become family.

Sometimes, though, life gets in the way. Condos get purchased, jobs change, schedules get busy, best friends move to Atlanta… until one day you realize there hasn’t been a Sunday Supper in months.

When I decided to reignite my Sunday Supper tradition, it was only fitting to go back to the last recipe we’d made. The faces around my table had changed, but the sentiment is the same: friends sharing a meal, telling stories, and laughing into the night.

These short ribs take a long time, but are relatively hands-off and difficult to mess up. I wasn’t paying enough attention at the butcher’s counter and ended up with boneless short ribs. Both bone-in and boneless work well; if you go boneless, you can probably cut back to 4 1/2 pounds and still have 6 generous servings.

Pat the ribs dry with paper towels, then generously season with kosher salt and pepper.

Sear the ribs in batches, browning all sides.

Cook the onions, celery and vegetables in the pan drippings.

Serve ribs over mashed potatoes, and top with sauce.

Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

From Bon Appetit

6 servings

5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2″ pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 750-ml bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
4 cups reduced-sodium beef stock

Preheat oven to 350°. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs, garlic, and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2 1/2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

Winter Steak Salad

As much as I love playing in my kitchen, especially on a Sunday, life doesn’t always allow for that. I’m in overdrive today, about to leave on my first of three business day trips over the next 10 days, and I don’t have time for anything that requires much hands-on time (or cleanup, for that matter).

Fortunately, good food doesn’t have to be complicated or take hours. Seasonal ingredients, prepared simply, are quite delicious. Learn the growing seasons, and you’ll automatically steer yourself toward the most flavorful and nutritious produce. Food at its peak in winter includes root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips; kale and other dark leafy greens; squash (acorn, butternut, and others with thick rinds); and citrus fruits.

I threw this together in 20 minutes with things I had on hand. Adapt it to your own tastes. Kitchen, this isn’t goodbye — it’s just a few days. :)

Winter Steak Salad
2 servings

8-12 oz sirloin steak
Salt and pepper
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
Olive oil
6 cups salad greens
2 Tbs pepitas or 1/4 c pecans
2 Tbs dried cranberries
2 Tbs your favorite vinaigrette dressing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season steaks with salt and pepper. Let rest for 10 min. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread sweet potato cubes on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, tossing to coat. Roast for 15 minutes or until soft and slightly browned, stirring once for even cooking.

Cook steaks as desired. (I use an indoor grill) Let rest on a cutting board 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

Combine salad greens, sweet potatoes, pepitas, and cranberries. Divide among 2 plates. Top with steak and serve with dressing.