Kibinai

For the meat filling, I always use pork belly. It should be meaty with not too thick layers of fat. Be sure to remove the skin. If you are using a lean piece, make sure to add a small piece of fresh fat. But it's still better to use meaty pork belly.

Start with the dough. It's preferable to take the margarine out of the refrigerator in advance so that it reaches room temperature by the time you start cooking. If not, cut the margarine into small cubes or, if it's frozen, grate it. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the margarine and rub it with your hands until it resembles crumbs.

Separate one egg into the egg white and yolk. Then add sour cream, a couple of pinches of salt, margarine, one egg, and one egg white to the flour. Knead a very pleasant dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Since everyone has different types of flour, the amount may vary slightly. Start with 450 grams. If you see that the dough is still sticky, add the remaining flour. If it still sticks, add a little more, but probably not more than 50 grams will be needed. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While our dough is resting in the refrigerator, let's work on the filling. Here's a small trick - you can't grind the meat in a meat grinder, it needs to be finely chopped with a knife. Of course, if you are really struggling with knives, time, and desire, you can grind it, but make sure to use the large holes... And it won't be exactly what you need... But still delicious. Peel and chop the onion into medium-small cubes. It's better to use coarsely ground pepper. Add salt, pepper, onion, water (100 grams) to the meat and mix everything together. The filling is ready.

I make kibinai of a medium size, just enough to eat two and feel satisfied. So, I take out the dough and divide it into 12 parts. To make all the pastries approximately the same size, I weigh the dough. Each piece of dough weighs about 80 grams, which means that my total dough is approximately 950 grams. Lightly sprinkle the table with flour and roll out or simply flatten the piece of dough into a circle, I would even say a gentle oval (oval from bottom to top, not from right to left). The thickness should be about 2-3 millimeters. Place a large tablespoon of meat filling in the center.

Now onto the most interesting part - the classic braid for kibinai. I probably won't be able to explain it clearly here, you need a video and practice. First, secure the edges and make them about 1.5 centimeters high, or even two.

Next, there will only be two movements - bend and flatten. Bend the bottom corner and press it firmly.

And so on - bend again and press firmly, slightly flatten.

Fold the flattened part and again, press firmly and flatten.

In this way, we braid a kind of braid. Of course, I probably don't explain it clearly, so my advice to you is - if you want to learn how to braid, find a video. And this kind of pinch - is a classic.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the kibinai on the sheet, leaving a small distance between each one, as they will expand slightly during baking. Lightly brush each kibinai with beaten egg yolk mixed with a little water for easier spreading.

If you have placed the kibinai in a preheated oven, they will be ready in about thirty minutes. Serve only with broth, as tea is not appropriate. Be careful, as there will be some hot broth inside the kibinai that can burn instantly.

Enjoy your meal!