Beef and Sweet Potato Knishes

After a few months of blogging, I have come to the conclusion that Jewish food (unlike the Jewish people) is just not all that attractive. Falafel, rather unphotogenic. Matzah Ball Soup, a bit homely. Latkes, wouldn’t win a beauty contest. Luckily, what these treats lack in devilish good looks, they make up ten-fold in deliciousness.

In this theme of brown mushy foods, I bring you the knish. These make an excellent appetizer, and dare I say Super Bowl treat? Knishes would fit right in between Bagel Bites and mini corn dogs, their equally as unsightly gentile cousins.

What Is a Knish?

A knish is a Russian doughy dumpling, filled with awesomeness. Kind of like a Jewish empanada. Traditionally, knishes contain meat, potatoes, or cheese. But the possibilities are endless!

The knish traveled with Ashkenazi Jews out of Eastern Europe and became genuine New York street food in the early 1900s, sold from Lower East Side pushcarts and later at every deli and ballpark in the city. Baked, hand sized, and built to be eaten standing up.

I decided to go with a little from column A, and a little from column B: a beef and sweet potato blend. The sweet potato keeps the beef filling moist and adds a gentle sweetness that plays against the savory onion.

Why You’ll Love These Beef and Sweet Potato Knishes

• They are a full meal in a pocket. Meat, vegetable and pastry in every bite.
• Appetizer sized. A 3 inch cutter gives you two bite knishes, which is exactly right for a party platter.
• The dough is genuinely easy. No yeast, no rising, no chilling required. Flour, oil, water, egg, done.
• Naturally dairy free. Oil based dough and a meat filling make these fleishig and Shabbat dinner friendly.
• They freeze like a dream. Assemble a big batch and bake them off whenever you need them.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Flour, baking powder and salt. The base of a quick, sturdy, no yeast pastry.
• Oil and water. A quarter cup each. Oil instead of butter keeps the whole thing pareve friendly and kosher for a meat meal.
• Eggs. Three plus an egg white total: some in the dough, one in the filling to bind it, and one beaten for the wash.
• Ground beef. Half a pound. Not much, because the sweet potato stretches it further than you would expect.
• Sweet potato. One small one, baked or microwaved, with the flesh scooped out. This is what keeps the filling from drying out.
• Onion. Chopped fine. A meat grinder would get the mixture finer, but a knife does the job.
• Gravy. A quarter cup, to make the beef moist (ew). Bubbe would have made her own, but for the amount used here, store bought does the trick. Don’t judge! (And don’t look at the ingredient list.)

How to Make Beef and Sweet Potato Knishes

1. Make the dough. Mix the flour and baking powder, then add salt, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup water, 1 egg and 1 egg white. Mix that sucker up until you have a workable dough, and set it aside.
2. Prep the filling. Chop the onion. Bake or microwave the sweet potato and scoop out the inside.
3. Mix the filling. Combine the onion, sweet potato, beef, 1 egg, salt and pepper, then add enough gravy to make the mixture moist.
4. Roll it thin. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch. There are almost as many ways to make knishes as there are fillings; I used a 3 inch circle cookie cutter for appetizer sized ones.
5. Fill and shape. Cut out as many circles as you can and add a dollop of meat to each. Scrunch up the sides and fold them in so you have a little meaty dumpling.
6. Egg wash and bake. Brush each knish with beaten egg and bake at 400 degrees F on a foil lined cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is cooked and the crust is golden brown.

It’s like a little savory present for your mouth! Sorry I said that.

What to Serve With Knishes

Spicy brown mustard, and plenty of it. That is the deli standard and it cuts the richness perfectly. For a bigger spread, serve them with horseradish pickles, chopped liver, or a pot of matzah ball soup.

Prefer a vegetarian version? My garlic mashed potato knishes use schmaltz for an unbelievably flaky dough and a roasted garlic filling.

Tips for the Best Knishes

• Roll the dough thin. An eighth of an inch. Thick dough is the fastest route to a heavy, bready knish.
• Do not overfill. A dollop, not a scoop. Overfilled knishes burst in the oven.
• Seal firmly, seam side down. Pinch the gathered dough well so the filling stays put.
• Use raw beef in the filling. It cooks through in the oven and stays far juicier than pre browned meat would.
• Do not skip the egg wash. It is the entire reason they come out glossy and golden instead of pale.

How to Store and Freeze

Baked knishes keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes to bring the crust back. Skip the microwave unless you enjoy a soggy pastry.

Freeze them unbaked on a sheet pan until firm, then bag them for up to 3 months and bake from frozen at 400 degrees F, adding roughly 10 minutes. Already baked knishes freeze well too.

Beef and Sweet Potato Knish FAQ

What is a knish made of?

A simple pastry dough wrapped around a savory filling and baked. Potato is the most traditional filling, but kasha, cheese, and meat are all classics. This version blends ground beef with sweet potato for something between the meat and potato camps.

Are knishes Russian, Polish or Jewish?

All three, depending where you start the story. The knish is Ashkenazi Jewish food with roots across Poland, Ukraine and Russia, and the version most Americans know is the New York knish that immigrants sold from pushcarts starting around 1900.

Are these knishes kosher?

Yes, they are fleishig. The dough uses oil rather than butter, so there is no dairy anywhere and they can be served at a meat meal. Use kosher beef and a kosher gravy and you are set.

Can I use a different filling?

Absolutely, the dough is a blank canvas. Mashed potato, kasha with onions, sauteed mushrooms, or spinach all work. Just keep the filling on the drier side so it does not make the pastry soggy.

Can I make them ahead for a party?

Yes. Assemble them fully, keep them covered in the fridge for up to a day, and bake right before guests arrive. They are best warm from the oven, and they hold at room temperature on a platter for a good couple of hours.

Why did my knishes burst open?

Usually overfilling, or a seam that was not pinched tightly enough. Use about a tablespoon of filling per 3 inch round, gather the dough firmly over the top, and set them seam side down on the pan.

What is the difference between a knish and an empanada?

Not much structurally, which is why I call a knish a Jewish empanada. The differences are in the seasoning and the shape: empanadas are typically half moons with a crimped edge, knishes are round or square with the dough gathered over the top.

Beef and Sweet Potato Knishes

Amy

4.43 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 10 (2 knishes per serving)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups flour
• 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 eggs and 1 egg white
• 1/2 pound beef
• 1 small onion
• 1 small baked sweet potato
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup gravy

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix together flour and baking powder.
• Add in salt, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup water, 1 egg and 1 egg white.
• Mix until you have a workable dough. Set aside.
• Mix together beef, chopped onions, 1 egg, sweet potato, salt, pepper and gravy.
• Roll out your dough until it is thin, about a 1/8 inch.
• Cut out as many circles as you can, and add a dollop of filling to each one.
• Scrunch up the sides and fold together to make dumplings.
• Take 1 egg, and brush on all knishes.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with foil until the filling is cooked and dough is golden brown.

Like this recipe?Leave a comment or rate us above

Go Packers! Or whatever.