Dutch Oven Potato Cepelinai
A national dish of Lithuania the potato cepelinai makes for great dutch oven food while out camping. It combines your whole dish right in a handy dumpling. It is a great way to get veggies and protein in a few bites. Not to mention that it is simply delicious!
Equipment
- Campfire
- Dutch Oven or Campstove
- Ladle
- Potato Ricer/Grater
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Ground Pork
- 3 Medium Onion 2 chopped and 1 finely grated
- 1 Egg (beaten)
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 8 Large Russet Potatoes Peeled, finely grated
- 2 Large Russet Potatoes Boiled and Riced
- 1/2 lb bacon
- 2 cup Sour Cream
Instructions
At Home Prep
- If you have not done so already. Wash and peel 2 potatoes. Place the two of them in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes or until tender. Rice the potatoes with a potato ricer or mash until there are no lumps. Allow to cool.2 Large Russet Potatoes
- Peel 8 potatoes and finely grate them into a bowl lined with cheesecloth. Once grated squeeze all excess liquid from the potatoes. Reserve liquid and allow to settle for 5 minutes.8 Large Russet Potatoes
- In a mixing bowl combine the riced potatoes and the squeezed raw potatoes together.
- After letting the liquid settle, scoop the potato starch that has settled at the bottom and add it to the potato mixture.
- Mix in the finely grated onion and 1 tsp of salt into the potato mixture. Stir until well combined.3 Medium Onion
- Place mixture in an air-tight food storage container and refrigerate.
- As the potatoes chill prepare the filling. In a bowl mix the ground pork, one finely chopped onion, egg, salt, and pepper together. Place in a separate food storage container.1/2 lb Ground Pork, 3 Medium Onion, 1 Egg (beaten), 2 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Black Pepper
Campsite Prep
- Once at the campsite and meal time prepare a pot of boiling water on the camp stove or over the fire with your Dutch oven.
- Form the Cepelinai by taking about a cup of the potato dough and flattening it into your hand.
- Scoop a 1/4 cup of the meat filling into the center.
- Fold the potato dough around the filling pushing the sides together. Do not leave any gaps for filling to escape.
- Place Cepelinai into the pot of boiling water for 25 min. You can also salt the water if you prefer but it is not necessary.
- While Cepelinai are boiling, make your sauce. Fry the bacon until crispy and chop into little bits. Cook one remaining chopped onion in bacon grease. Onions should be translucent and soft when ready. Mix onions and 3/4 of the bacon bits together in the sour cream. Reserve 1/4 of the bacon bits for garnish, or if not being fancy through them all into the sauce.3 Medium Onion, 1/2 lb bacon, 2 cup Sour Cream
- Remove Cepelinai from the boiling water and top with sauce and remaining bacon bits.
