Recipe: Cleveland Polish Boy Two Ways

Prep/cook time: 75-90 minutes; Serves 6

Cleveland contestant Mike Thomas prepares a one-of-a-kind dish that will have viewers at home craving a Polish boy like never before. PBS Western Reserve is excited to share the recipe Thomas used to make this Cleveland-born sandwich and companion pierogies so that you can re-create the dish in your kitchen.

If you’re unfamiliar, a Polish boy is a kielbasa sandwich topped with barbecue sauce, coleslaw and french fries. In this recipe, the sandwich is served with a side of pierogies with a Polish boy-inspired filling.

Happy cooking, and don’t forget to show off your dish by tagging PBS Western Reserve on Instagram or Facebook.

Materials needed: knife set; 1 frying pan/skillet; stock pot; 2 cutting boards; tongs; wooden spoon; high-heat spatula; ladle; measuring cups and spoons; paper towels; drying/cooling rack; 2 bowls; colander; vegetable peeler; cheese grater; deep fryer; food processor; biscuit cutter, approximately two inches round. 

Pierogi dough

• 2 cups flour; more as needed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tsp. salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Pinch paprika
• Pinch seasoning salt (Lawry’s preferred)

Pierogi stuffing 

• 1/2 head purple cabbage
• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 3 Polish all-beef sausages with skin removed, chopped and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 potato, diced

Barbecue crema

• 1/4-1/2 cup ketchup or vinegar-based barbecue sauce
• 1 cup sour cream
• Pinch paprika

Polish boy sandwiches

• 6 all-beef Polish sausages (Scott Pete polish sausage preferred)
• 6 hoagie rolls, no sesame seeds
• 2 russet potatoes
• 1/2 head purple cabbage
• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup ketchup or vinegar-based barbecue sauce
• 3 cups cooking oil
• 6 cups water for boiling

1. To make the coleslaw: Begin by slicing 1/2 of each of the red and purple cabbages. Shred the carrots with a cheese grater. Add the sugar, heavy cream and mayonnaise together in a bowl and mix, then add to the cabbage-carrot mix. Add salt to taste. Set aside.
2. To make the pierogi filling, take the diced sausage, cabbage, potatoes, butter and onions and cook in a sauté pan until the potatoes are soft. You can use a knife to test the potatoes. Let ingredients cool prior to making pierogies.
3. To make the pierogi dough, combine all ingredients in the food processor. Add flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough lifts from the edges of the processor. Shape the dough into a ball, coat it in flour and place it in a bowl. Allow to chill for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. To prepare the Polish boys: Bring water to a boil. Peel the potatoes and cut them into long strips. Put the strips into cold water to rinse off some of the starch. Boil the Polish sausage for approximately 15 minutes. Use a deep fryer or frying pan to fry the french fries in 350-degree oil until golden brown (approximately 12 minutes).
5. To make the pierogies, begin by rolling out the pierogi dough into four-inch round circles. Put the stuffing in the middle of the pierogi dough. Fold over and crimp with a fork; use warm water to help seal the dough. Toss pierogies into boiling water for approximately five minutes. Take them out of the water and let them rest. Add butter to the pan and bring to medium heat. Toss pierogies in the butter until they are toasted on all sides.
6. To serve, take the Polish sausage out of the boiling water and place in a hoagie roll. Drizzle barbecue sauce on top. Place the french fries directly atop the sausage. Finish by putting coleslaw on top of the sausage and serve alongside pierogies and crema.