Pulpety Wieprzowe w Sosie Koperkowym
“Unlike their fried counterparts from other cuisines, these nostalgic Polish meatballs are gently cooked in stock — which turns into a flavourful dill sauce that carries that charming old-school vibe reminiscent of the bygone era.”
How to pronounce it?
pull-petty viepshoveh
‘Play’ to hear:
A plate of Polish meatballs, complete with creamy dill sauce and tender mashed potatoes, is the perfect quick-yet-satisfying dinner that’ll please everyone.
These ‘Pulpety’ meatballs – unlike their Italian or Swedish counterparts – aren’t fried. Instead, they’re boiled in stock (vegetable or meat-based), which is later transformed into the sauce. Kid’s favourite!
For the full list of ingredients & detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. But before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know below.
I ate a fair share of Pulpety in Dill Sauce in my life, mostly at school canteens and at babcia’s home. It’s one of those dishes that even an extremely fussy eater – such as myself back in the day – would enjoy.
These Polish-style meatballs came out great the very first time I made them. And – they tasted much, much better than the ones I had in the past. Fragrant, soft and fluffy – yet dense enough to keep their round shape.
Pulpety Meatballs in Dill Sauce have that nostalgic quality about them, an old-school vibe of the previous (communist) era. If you would like to try more dishes from that time, try one of these:
- Kopytka Potato Dumplings
- Farmer’s Cheese Pierogi
- Polish Tomato Soup
Do you need any special ingredients to make these Polish Meatballs?
This recipe is really easy to make and you don’t need any special ingredients. To make this dish, you’ll need some ground / minced pork, a stale bread roll, one onion, an egg and a lot of fresh dill.
You can swap the pork for another type of meat, minced chicken or turkey would make a fine substitute. I often replace a regular bread roll with two slices of stale ‘chałka’ (challah-style sweet bread), to add a little bit of sweetness. A brioche would work great too.
What should you serve with these Pulpety Meatballs?
Pulpety are usually served with potatoes (mashed, roasted or simply boiled and topped with melted butter). You could also serve them over kopytka potato dumplings, cooked buckwheat or other grains of your choice.
As every babcia would tell you, vegetables on the side are mandatory. Serve a Polish-style Cucumber Salad, braised beetroots or a couple of Dill Pickles.
For a faster weeknight version, you’ll love these Pulpety over pasta or rice. If you’re limiting carbs, serve them with steamed vegetables – they’ll soak up the dill sauce beautifully.
Can you cook these Polish Meatballs another way?
No, that’s the best way to cook them. If you pan-fry the meatballs, they won’t taste the same.
What diets are these Pulpety Meatballs suitable for?
If you skip the bread roll/brioche in the recipe, this dish will be gluten-free and keto-friendly.
This cooking method (cooking in stock rather than frying) makes pulpety lighter and easier to digest. That’s why they’re a popular choice among kids and those of us with more sensitive stomachs.
How long can you keep these Polish Meatballs in the fridge?
Once you’ve put this dish out, ideally it should be eaten within 3-4 hours.
You can keep any leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. They can be moved into a container with a lid. I just leave these meatballs in the pot I used for cooking them, covered with a lid.
Can I freeze these Pulpety Meatballs?
Yes, you can! This recipe can be frozen, remember to use a freezer-friendly bag or container. Label it with the date and describe the contents.
How do I reheat these Polish Meatballs?
From chilled: If you’ve kept the leftovers in the cooking pot, you can reheat them by cooking on the stove. 10 minutes on a low to medium heat with occasional stirring should be enough. Do a taste test on a single meatball – if it’s warm and soft throughout, it’s ready to serve.
You can also reheat Pulpety in a microwave-proof container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 5 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to thaw, then cook on the stove for 10 minutes on low to medium heat.
Alternatively, heat covered in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes – then stir. Continue cooking for a further 5 minutes, until piping hot.
Yield: 3
Pulpety: Polish Pork Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce
These Polish meatballs are soft and packed with vibrant dill flavour.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Additional Time15 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Ingredients
For pulpety
- 1 stale bread roll (brioche, or 2 slices of 'chałka')
- 0.5 cup milk, for soaking the bread roll
- 17.5 oz (500 gram) ground pork
- 1 onion, medium
- 1 egg
- 0.5 bunch fresh dill
- 1 tsp salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
For cooking / future dill sauce
- 2 pints (1 litre) vegetable stock, can replace with chicken stock
- 2 tsp butter
- 2 tsp flour
- 0.5 bunch fresh dill
Instructions
- Pour milk over the bread roll or brioche, leave it aside to soak for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix the minced meat with an egg. Add the roll (squeeze out the milk first) and season with salt and pepper.
- Grate the onion finely and add to the mix. Add half a bunch of chopped dill. Blend everything together - ideally with your hands. Form walnut to golf-ball sized meatballs.
- Heat up the vegetable stock. You can add in some grated vegetables, if there were any left from cooking the stock.
- Bring the stock to a boil. Drop pulpety in, one by one. Set the heat to a minimum/low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Blend flour with butter, add a few spoonfuls of stock from the stove. Slowly add this mixture back to the pan, and blend carefully with a spoon.
- Add chopped dill and turn off the heat. Serve with sides of your choice. Tastes great with potatoes and a beetroot salad.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 678Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 230mgSodium: 2063mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 51g
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Recipe Information
Filed under:
Mains
all-Polish (Popular Nationwide)
Comfort Food, Kid-friendly
Alternative traditional/regional names:
Pulpeciki, Klopsiki
Also known / Misspelt internationally as:
Tested by:
First published on:
Recipe by / Adapted from:
Story by:
Bibliography / References:
