A Jewish meat knish (kuh-NISH) is a baked dumpling filled with meat, potatoes, kasha, sauerkraut, onions or cheese (and lately spinach, sweet potatoes, and other ingredients), that is traditionally baked but sometimes fried. It's similar to a British pasty, Mexican empanada, Russian pirozhki, and an Italian calzone. Since this dough recipe is made with butter, cream cheese, and sour cream, and filled with beef, it would not be considered kosher.
The recipe for the filling was provided by Lloyd Weinstein of Benjie's Deli in Santa Ana, Calif. The knishes can be individually quick frozen on baking sheets and transferred to freezer bags for storage if desired.
Here is a potato knish recipe you might like to try.
“I thought I preferred potato knishes, but that was before I tasted this particular meat version. The addition of pastrami as one of the filling ingredients was absolutely brilliant. It kicked the flavor up to another level. I didn’t have access to a meat grinder, so I pulsed the ingredients in a food processor instead.” —Diana Andrews
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-diana-andrews-2021-image6-c1f51ddd184740f0a52bff8245f04795.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (1)")
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
For the Knish Dough:
8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Meat Filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 poundsground beef, preferably 80/20
5 ounces pastrami, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
For the Egg Wash:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
Steps to Make It
Make the Knish Dough
Gather the ingredients.
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream until smooth and well combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add flour and salt and pulse to blend.
Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap.
Using floured hands, form into a ball and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-01-0febd6e76aa846a0a5156b35fd7d4882.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (2)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-02-1-ca52eb56982c42feb8e356ded5c39b3f.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (3)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-03-cc34b15a412743ee8c26cfaec49d69c3.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (4)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-04-e42004d441f34e73aceb77985505c963.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (5)")
Make the Meat Filling
Gather the ingredients.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 9 minutes.
Drain the mixture of excess fat. Add the pastrami and mix well.
Pass meat through a grinder with the small hole setting. Alternatively, pulse then process the mixture in batches in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until finely chopped, taking care not to over process.
Transfer meat to a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Add the salt, garlic powder, and white pepper and mix to combine. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add the eggs and mix well to combine.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-01-9e637f5284eb48fc8886b285ce0ece29.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (6)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-02-ca0f1d4a4ee440148e358fe1bb080e44.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (7)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-03-c47894347bf84217b4a7e28cc54f2e5e.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (8)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-04-63cfbc2beda64f7ab92281ff40913e72.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (9)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-05-e39809d7a0ee45ffb0faa3c77b47f651.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (10)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-06-1-f87a2df3570d412b8df08a19df2e02a6.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (11)")
Assemble the Knishes
Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let come to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Re-roll any dough scraps until all the dough is used.
Make the egg wash by combining the beaten egg with the water. Brush each square with the egg wash.
Place 1 1/2 tablespoons filling on one of the dough squares.
Stretch the dough over the filling and fold the points to meet in the center, similar to an envelope, pinching the edges closed. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling. (You might not use all the filling.)
Place knishes on the prepared baking sheets and brush with the egg wash.
Bake until knishes are golden brown on the top and bottom, rotating the trays in the oven halfway through baking, about 30 minutes total.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-01-a735b00c417b47628200365d04fa440a.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (12)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-02-373d5a42ea1644d787f95c297cd6ab44.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (13)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-03-0509f119c8254f768617af058e1001d6.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (14)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-04-1d7a095795d94c43a6c719bfd8cbe5eb.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (15)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-05-7cc134c22f7d49deb9469c7125daa29b.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (16)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-06-8ef747ecd40f4c90b8cbe8ba3a294c7e.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (17)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-07-9079b11f5b22490e9837bcc38f920908.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (18)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-08-f4bd974d267d42b4beeb4a69f267486e.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (19)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-meat-knishes-recipe-1136321-step-09-d1113cf760dd47b8a26a09651ba2b0aa.jpg "Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (20)")
Tips
- Serve these meat knishes with some sharp deli-style mustard, which pairs especially well with the pastrami in the filling.
- Any leftover filling can be used in omelets and stuffed baked vegetables, stirred into a chili, or eaten in a burrito or taco. Just be sure to cook the filling thoroughly again as it contains raw eggs.
Recipe Variations
Before baking, sprinkle the tops of the knishes with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or even a little flaky salt for a subtle crunch.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 297 | Calories |
| 20g | Fat |
| 16g | Carbs |
| 13g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 22to 23 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 297 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 20g | 25% |
| Saturated Fat 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol 89mg | 30% |
| Sodium 321mg | 14% |
| Total Carbohydrate 16g | 6% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 1g | |
| Protein 13g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 2% |
| Calcium 34mg | 3% |
| Iron 2mg | 11% |
| Potassium 187mg | 4% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Recipe Tags:
Rate This Recipe
I don't like this at all.It's not the worst.Sure, this will do.I'm a fan—would recommend.Amazing! I love it!Thanks for your rating!
