Bierochen (German Cabbage Burgers)
When my son mentioned this dish to me the other day, I had forgotten that I had already had it at least once when I was living in Germany. I was intrigued when he mentioned it to when we are discussing our plans for Fat Tuesday this year. I decided I would take on my own version of this thing and see if I couldn’t make it even “mo betta”.
Ingredients:
3 (1 pound) loaves frozen bread dough, thawed (frozen dinner roll dough works too)
3 pounds ground beef
1 15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sliced “Tamed” jalapeños (or untamed, if you prefer)
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1/4 cup water
1 head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter, divided
Directions:
- Crumble the ground beef into a large pot over medium heat. I used a Dutch Oven. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Drain off liquid. Add everything – the water, cabbage, black beans, jalapeño, olives, onion, garlic and half the butter. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring as needed, until the cabbage is soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain off any excess liquids, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide each loaf of frozen bread dough into 6 pieces, and roll into balls. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough balls into 5 inch (approximate) squares. Place about 1/3 cup of the cabbage burger into the center, fold the dough over, and pinch to seal. Place on a baking sheet with the seam side down. Melt 2 Tbs of butter.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, and brush with melted butter. Serve hot.