Beef Cheek Pierogies
Caramelized Onions, Chestnut Mushrooms, Pickled Rhubarb, Chives, Spruce Tip Labneh
Chef Eddie Moreau of Marrow | Detroit, MI
Adapted by StarChefs | July 2025 | Photo: Alexander Zeren
INGREDIENTS
Pickled Rhubarb:
Yield: 1 cup
1 cup diced rhubarb
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 bay leaf
Dough:
Yield: 32 pierogies
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup melted butter
1 egg
⅛ cup thinly sliced chives
Beef Cheek Filling:
Yield: 4 quarts
4 pounds beef cheeks, trimmed
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Neutral oil
8 cups beef stock
1 bunch thyme
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 Spanish onions, julienne
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Red wine vinegar
Beef Jus:
½ cup Marsala wine
Spruce Tip Labneh:
Yield: 2 cups
2 cups labneh
¼ tablespoon chopped spruce tips
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Pierogies:
Yield: 32 pierogies
All-purpose flour
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Kosher salt
Neutral oil
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
Caramelized onions
Sautéed chestnut mushrooms
Thinly sliced chives
Nutritional yeast
METHOD
For the Pickled Rhubarb:
Place rhubarb in a nonreactive container and set aside. In a pot over medium-low heat, bring vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, and ¼ cup water to a simmer. Pour pickling liquid over rhubarb. Cover and let sit 24 hours.
For the Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine flour and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, butter, and egg. Set aside. Replace whisk attachment with dough hook attachment. With the machine running on low speed, slowly incorporate wet mixture into the flour mixture. Mix 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit 1 hour at room temperature.
For the Beef Cheek Filling:
Heat oven to 325°F. On a work surface, season beef with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large pan over medium flame, heat neutral oil. Add beef and sear on all sides until golden brown. Transfer to a hotel pan and add beef stock and thyme. Cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Braise 3 hours, or until beef is fork-tender. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, reserve beef and braising liquid separately. In a pan over low flame, heat canola oil. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned. Stir in sugar and vinegar. Remove from heat and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine onion mixture and braised beef. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the Beef Jus:
In a saucepan over low heat, add wine. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, then add reserved Beef Cheek Filling braising liquid. Simmer until mixture has reduced by three-quarters. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Spruce Tip Labneh:
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Pierogies:
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out Dough until ⅛-inch thick. Using a 2-inch ring mold, cut out rounds. Place ½ tablespoon Beef Cheek Filling in the center of each round. Lightly brush bottom half of Dough with warm water. Fold bottom half towards top half. Crimp the edges to seal. Repeat process with remaining Dough. Transfer pierogies to a lightly floured sheet tray. Set aside.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a small pot over low heat, warm Beef Jus. In a pot over medium-high heat, bring salted water to a boil. Add 3 Pierogies and boil 5 minutes, or until floating at the surface. Transfer Pierogies to a mixing bowl. Add oil and toss to coat. Set aside. In a large sauté pan over medium flame, heat oil. Reduce heat to low and add Pierogies. Add butter and cook until Pierogies begin to caramelize on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let drain. Place 1 spoonful Spruce Tip Labneh in the center of a serving plate. Top with Pierogies, 1 spoonful Beef Jus, desired amount Pickled Rhubarb, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. Garnish with chives and nutritional yeast.
