Lithuanian Cepelinai Traditional (Printable)

Classic Lithuanian dish featuring grated potatoes filled with seasoned pork and beef, complemented by creamy bacon sauce.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dumplings

01 - 3.3 lbs starchy potatoes, peeled
02 - 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - 1 tbsp potato starch (optional)

→ Meat Filling

05 - 9 oz ground pork
06 - 5 oz ground beef
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
08 - 1 clove garlic, minced
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - ½ tsp black pepper

→ Sauce

11 - 5 oz bacon or smoked pork belly, diced
12 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
13 - 1¼ cups sour cream
14 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Grate raw potatoes finely, place in cheesecloth or kitchen towel, and press to extract liquid. Let liquid sit for a few minutes, then pour off water and reserve potato starch sediment.
02 - Combine squeezed grated potatoes, mashed potatoes, salt, and reserved potato starch in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms, adding extra starch if too moist.
03 - In a bowl, blend ground pork, ground beef, chopped onion, garlic, salt, and pepper thoroughly.
04 - With wet hands, shape dough portions about the size of a large egg, flatten them, place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center, and seal dough around to form oval dumplings. Repeat for all portions.
05 - Simmer salted water gently (avoid boiling). Add dumplings in batches, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook for 25-30 minutes until they float and feel firm.
06 - Fry diced bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, add chopped onion and sauté till golden. Stir in sour cream and dill, warming without boiling.
07 - Plate dumplings hot, topped with bacon and sour cream sauce.

# Top Suggestions:

01 -
  • These dumplings are genuinely filling—one or two with that bacon cream sauce becomes a complete meal that sticks with you.
  • The technique sounds intimidating but becomes almost meditative once you get into a rhythm with shaping.
  • You're making something real, something that tastes like it took work, and honestly, that feels good.
02 -
  • Overcooking the dumplings by even five minutes turns them into soupy mush; they're done the moment they float and feel firm when you press one gently.
  • The potato starch that settles at the bottom of your liquid is not optional if your potatoes are very watery—it's what keeps the whole thing from falling apart.
  • Never skip the step of squeezing the potatoes hard; wet dough becomes sticky dough, and sticky dough becomes a disaster when you're trying to seal in the filling.
03 -
  • Keep a bowl of cold water next to you while shaping so you can rinse your hands whenever the dough gets sticky.
  • If your sour cream is cold from the fridge, warm it gently in a small saucepan before adding it to the bacon and onions so it mixes smoothly without breaking.
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