Lithuanian Cepelinai Traditional

# What You'll Need:

→ Dumplings

01 - 3.3 lbs starchy potatoes, peeled

02 - 2 medium boiled and mashed potatoes

03 - 1 tsp salt

04 - 1 tbsp potato starch (optional for binding)

→ 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 diced bacon or smoked pork belly

12 - 1 small onion, finely chopped

13 - 1¼ cups sour cream

14 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Grate raw potatoes finely, squeeze out excess liquid using cheesecloth, reserve the liquid and extract the potato starch by letting it settle, then discard the water.

02 - Combine the squeezed grated potatoes, mashed boiled potatoes, salt, and reserved potato starch in a large bowl until a cohesive dough forms; add extra potato starch if dough is too moist.

03 - Mix ground pork, ground beef, finely chopped onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper thoroughly in a bowl.

04 - With wet hands, flatten portions of potato dough into patties, place a heaping tablespoon of meat filling in the center, then shape the dough around the filling to form sealed oval dumplings; repeat for all dough and filling.

05 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer, carefully slide in dumplings in batches, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until they float and feel firm to the touch.

06 - In a skillet, cook diced bacon over medium heat until crisp, add onions and sauté until golden, then stir in sour cream and dill and warm gently without boiling.

07 - Plate dumplings hot and top with the bacon and sour cream sauce.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

The contrast between the creamy potato exterior and savory meat filling is genuinely addictive, especially when you nail that tender-but-firm texture.
It's a showstopper dish that tastes like you spent all day cooking, but the actual hands-on time is refreshingly manageable.
That bacon and sour cream sauce is pure comfort—rich without being heavy, and it transforms simple potatoes into something unforgettable.

02 -

Squeezing out the potato liquid is not optional—it's the difference between dumplings that hold together and ones that fall apart in the water.
Those boiled mashed potatoes are your safety net; they prevent the dough from being too sticky while keeping everything tender.
Never boil the sour cream sauce at a rolling boil, or it will split and look curdled instead of silky.

03 -