lihapiirakka
Deep fried yeast doughnut stuffed with minced meat filling is a popular Finnish pastry called lihapiirakka which directly translates to ‘meat pie’! While not quite the same, it’s very similar to Russian piroshki. Lihapiirakka is a popular street food and food stands often put creative spins on this classic pastry by cutting it lengthwise and stuffing it with sausage, kebab, or ham and different types of condiments!
How to make Finnish meat pies?
Place the warm milk in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes then whisk in oil, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Whisk in 2 cups of flour, then knead in the rest 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with a warm damp kitchen towel and place in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size. Meanwhile make the filling. Cook the Arborio rice with 1 1/2 cups water in a rice cooker. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat cook the ground beef and chopped onion with red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, pepper, herbs de Provence, and garlic powder. Once the meat is fully cooked and onions are soft, mix in the cooked rice. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Roll the dough until it’s about 1cm thick and cut circles with a 6” biscuit cutter. Lightly brush the edges with water and place as much filling as possible in the middle while keeping the edges clean. Fold the circle in half and pinch the the edges shut. Arrange the meat pies on on a tray and let them rise for 30 minutes. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot to 350f. Deep fry the meat pies 2 at a time until golden brown on each side. Serve hot with ketchup and mustard (and relish if you like pickles)!
Tips
If the dough is not rising properly the room may be too cold and it may need extra time.
Similar to burgers these meat pies taste the best with condiments like ketchup, mustard, relish, etc!