Runza? Mystery Meat Sandwich Nobody Talks about except Nebraskans!
#runza #nebraska #sandwich #cornhuskers #nebraskacornhuskers #lincolnnebraska #cornhuskerstate #gordanramsay
Alright, raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of a runza sandwich! If you are from one of four lucky Midwestern states, namely Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, or Iowa, you’re probably waving both hands in the air right now! That’s right, we see you! And if you aren’t, you’re probably staring blankly at the screen. But don’t worry, your life is about to change. And by the end of this video, you’ll be raring to go on a “runza run”. So, what the heck is a runza???
In today’s video, we will dive deep into this classic Midwestern sandwich, which originates back to 1700s Russia. Long story short, a bunch of Germans moved to the middle of nowhere Russia, invented the runza, then moved to Nebraska and brought their delicious creation with them! Yes, there are quite a few more parts to that story, but in the end, we can thank Russia and Europe for these delectable, cabbage-filled sandwiches! Oh, and we also need to thank a woman named Sally Everett, who brought runzas to the masses when she opened the first Runza restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1949.
We’ll begin by discussing the origin of the runza, then explore how it became a Midwestern franchise sensation with over 80 restaurants currently open, and still expanding! We’ll dive into a controversy regarding a Runza franchise at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and sneak peek, it doesn’t have a happy ending. Next, you’ll see which celebrity chef visited a Runza and LOVED IT!!! Finally, we’ll show you how to make your own runza at home. You’d better go stock up on meat and cabbage!
How do you like your runza - classic, or with cheese? Would you consider using this dinner recipe for your next meal? Tell us in the comments below! And make sure to like this video and subscribe to our channel for more videos like this!
Runza: A classic from Nebraska! (Inspired by Cleetus McFarland)
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These were so easy and amazingly delicious! Simplicity at it's finest. Now, to get myself to Nebraska to try them from the source...
RUNZA:
The Dough:
- 4.5 teaspoons (2 envelopes) active dry yeast
- Pinch of sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup (one stick) unsalted butter, cut into pats and softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 580 grams all purpose flour (plus some more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
The Filling:
- 4 cups cabbage, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2lbs lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1. Bloom yeast in stand mixer bowl by adding yeast, pinch of sugar and the milk & water which have been heated to 100-110 degrees F. Allow to bloom for about 10 minutes until top is foamy
2. Add butter, sugar, eggs, flour and water. With dough hook, begin mixing on low and increase speed. After 5 minutes or so, check dough consistency. It should be tacky, not sticky. If it's too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time and mix until combined. Check again and repeat until dough reaches desired consistency.
3. Turn dough out on to a floured workspace. Knead dough for a few minutes, adding flour as needed to form a soft ball that springs back gently when pushed.
4. Place dough ball into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
5. Chop cabbage and onion
6. In a large pot, add onion over medium high heat and stir occasionally until sizzling
7. Add meat and break up with spoon as it browns
8. When almost fully browned, add seasoned salt and pepper. Stir to mix thoroughly.
9. Add cabbage and cook until cabbage is tender
10. Remove from heat and pour filling mix into a colander to drain off excess liquid.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
12. Punch down dough and remove from bowl. If you have a scale, weigh entire dough ball and divide into 12 equal portions. If you don't have a scale, divide equally by eye. May the odds be in your favor.
13. Roll each piece into a small log, and roll with rolling pin into a rectangle about 8x6
14. Fill each piece with ½ cup of filling. Fold over on long axis, slightly overlapping the seam on the bottom. Fold ends under and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Don't overcrowd them. Add 1 slice of cheese torn in half to each before adding filling if desired.
15. Bake in center of oven at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes until golden brown
16. Allow to cool for a bit before devouring
17. Enjoy!
Bierocks, Runza, Pirozhki & Пирожки recipe (2020) RockinRaffi Ep. 72 (cook with me)
How to Make Bierocks, Runza, Pirozhki and Пирожки
#Пирожки #Bierocks #Pirozhki
Yeast Dough:
to save time I bought frozen yeast dough and followed the instructions on it to make these.
the filling: In a large non-stick frying pan, brown 1 pound of ground meat over medium high until mostly cooked, 5-7 min.
add 1 cup diced onions and Cook 2-3 min
Now add 10-12 ounces of cabbage and cook 7-10 minutes, until cabbage is tender.
Remove filling from heat and add 1/4 tsp of each salt and pepper.
Flatten the thawed out dough in circles and add filling in the middle to each one of the circles until you have filled all the doughs up with at least 2 Tablespoons of meat filling.
Now you want to wrap the dough around almost into a bun shape or football shape
Place the shaped bierocks on a greased baking sheet and let rise, covered 30-45 min
preheat your oven to 350F.
and bake for about 25 min, or until golden brown
once removed from oven brush melted butter on top and Enjoy!
Copyright ©2020 Rockin Raffi's Home Cooking all videos and editing by Rockin Raffi
Grandma's Cabbage Burgers Recipe - similar to Runzas and Bierocks
Soft and buttery yeast rolls stuffed with savory cabbage and beef - YUM! Grandma's cabbage burgers are similar to Runzas, Bierocks, Bushkas or Kraut Kuchen - no matter what you call these, they are GOOD! And they make a ton...literally 5 dozen. Don't worry, they freeze perfectly!
Full recipe for Grandma's Cabbage Burgers here:
Traditional German Bierocks aka Runzas - Made From Scratch From Start to Finish
Traditional German Bierocks aka Runzas - Made From Scratch From Start to Finish is a video where I show you a family recipe for a delicious home made, hand held and really really yummy German/Russian meat pie.
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Runza! A Regional Favorite!
John tackles a Nebraska classic! Runzas are a delicious combo of beef, onion, cabbage and spices. It’s a bit of work, but worth the tasty results, if you don’t have time for a road trip.