Пельмени (Siberian dumplings) made with wonton wrappers
(yields about 50 pelmeni)

Traditional pelmeni dough is a bit thicker than wonton dough -- so, if you like, you can buy twice the suggested amount of wonton wrappers and double them up to make a thicker, chewier "two-ply envelope".

DOUGH (тесто)

1 package of Nasoya-brand wonton wrappers (these are pre-cut squares about 3 inches on a side, and are available in packages of 50 -- obviously, you can use other brands, but Nasoya seems to be universally available here on the East Coast. If you live near an Asian grocery store, you'll probably be able to find a wider selection of pre-cut wonton wrappers, including round ones -- but look for dough made with wheat flour, not rice flour!)

FILLING (начинка)

1 lb. ground meat (фарш) -- I like to use a 50/50 mix of ground beef (говядина) and "spicy pork sausage meat" (острый фарш из свинины)-- the kind sold in a tube from Jimmy Dean or whatever)

1 egg, beaten

small onion, minced

1/2 tsp. dried ground ginger
1 tsp. garlic powder
generous dash of salt and pepper

1/4 cup (or more) bread crumbs (панировка) plain or seasoned

To make the filling, combine the ground meat(s) with the beaten egg and minced onion, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly with spoon, then add some bread crumbs and work with hands until the mixture is just firm enough that you can shape spoonfuls of it into log-like shapes without it oozing everywhere. I usually add about 1/4 cup bread crumbs and then chill the meat mixture for 20-30 minutes in the fridge to check the consistency before I add any more crumbs.

SHAPING PELMENI:

Have ready a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or foil or plastic wrap plus enough free space in your freezer to lay the cookie sheet flat! Also have ready a small bowl of water.

Keep the wonton wrappers covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out.

To shape a pelmeni, place wonton wrapper on your workspace -- if it's a square wrapper, orient it diagonally like a "diamond." Place a generous heaping teaspoon of the uncooked filling mix on the center of the dough and, with your fingers, form it into a rough log shape along the diagonal of the square. (Think "tube of Chapstick," but maybe a little thicker and a little shorter -- you do want to leave clearance at the edges to firmly seal the dough-envelope.)

Dip your fingers in the water and quickly moisten the edges of the wonton square. Fold up the bottom corner to the top to form a triangle, and press the edges closed. Then, moisten the three corners of the triangle and pinch them together. Place the finished dumpling on the cookie sheet.

Very Important: While shaping the pelmeni, remember the Russian saying Первый блин -- комом! ("The first pancake always turns out lumpy."). In other words, you might eff up the first couple of dumplings, but after a few tries your fingers will get the knack of it and it'll go faster and faster.

Continue until you've filled the cookie sheet; then put in freezer for 30-45 minutes while you make the rest of the pelmeni. After the pelmeni are thoroughly frozen on the outside, you can remove them from cookie sheet and place in large Ziploc bags to freeze solid until you're ready to use them. (You can cook the freshly-made pelmeni immediately if you like, but freezing them is actually very, very traditional... though, of course, the freezing used to be done by burying them in the Siberian permafrost!)

COOKING:

Bring large pot with 3-4 inches of salted water or chicken/beef bouillon to a full boil and drop in frozen pelmeni, allowing 8-10 per person. Return to full boil while stirring gently to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 7-8 minutes until all pelmeni are floating.

Remove pelmeni to plates with slotted spoon and immediately drizzle on some malt vinegar (or other flavorful vinegar) and melted butter; garnish with finely chopped cilantro and/or dill. Serve with sour cream (обязательно со сметаной!), salt and pepper, Worcestershire, and/or Tabasco on the side. (Obviously, Worcestershire and Tabasco are less traditional, but they seem to be popular with Russians nowadays.)

P.S. Using the egg and breadcrumbs in the filling produces a more "meatloaf-y" texture; you can omit these and use just ground meat + minced onions for a more "hamburger-y" texture.