Bierock

Bierocks are meat-filled pocket pastries originating in Eastern Europe, possibly in Germany or Russia, as the dish is very common among the Volga German community in the United States and Argentina.

In the U.S., bierocks are found in Kansas, North Dakota, Northwest Oklahoma, and the western states of California, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming. The bierock is closely related to the Runza, primarily found in Nebraska.

In Argentina, the "Fiesta del Pirok" (Festival of Bierock) takes place every July, in Crespo, Entre Ríos Province. [ [http://www.turismo.gov.ar/esp/calend/rcalend.asp?Meses=7&Pcia=Entre+R%EDos Secretary of Tourism of Argentina] ]

The dish is spelled variously "bieroch", "beerock", "berrock", "bierox" and "beerrock" in the U.S, and "Pirok" or "Kraut Pirok" in Argentina. Typically, the bierock is filled with cooked and seasoned ground beef, shredded cabbage and onions, then oven baked until the dough is golden brown. Some variants include grated carrots.

Bierocks are close in both name and preparation to the Eastern European Pierogi. There is no doubt that etymologically bierock (pronounced somewhere between "brock" and "brook")cite web| url=http://www.berchonfood.com/cgi-bin/blosxom.cgi/2007/05/17| last=Berch| first=Michael | title=Nebraska roundup, part 2 | work=| publisher=|date=May 2007| accessdate=2008-07-15] is borrowed from Russian or Ukraninian pirog, or from some other East or West Slavic vernacular.