Not completely safe....that meat cabbage mixture is warm enough for bacteria to grow. It's not the bacteria that kill you....it's the toxins the bacteria produce which are not killed by cooking.
cook your meat just before forming the runzas. Let them cool a little, but best not to sit in a pan on your sotove for 4 or 5 hours....or even 2 or 3 hours.
Linda C

claire,

Sometimes, I think we live on bierocks! I was taught to cool the meat/cabbage about 20 minutes then refrigerate it until it was chilled before filling the dough. So, I've always made the filling the night before baking day. Having the filling well chilled also helps make sure nothing oozes out from the bierock.

Sounds delicious! Now that my oven's working again I need to fill the freezer with a couple dozen. Thanks for reminding me we're out!

/tricia

I'd cool it for about 1/2 hr then place it in the refrigerator.

OR...since it's winter, put it out on the deck! When it's 40F or below, I make use of the natural refrigerator. Wrapping things securely of course. :)

Nancy

OK Thanks everyone. Linda, you answered the question the same way I would if anyone else had asked it! I guess I've been living dangerously, and will use my half sheet pans to spread and cool the mix quickly, and straight into the fridge until I'm ready to fill. I don't think I've ever made anyone sick, but I don't ever want there to be a first time. I'll just remind myself ''When in doubt, toss it out.'' My Method that is!

Tricia, I'll use your method from now on, Thanks. It would make more sense to make the filling ahead of the dough, and certainly would help shorten the entire process this way. As much as I love to eat them, I don't always enjoy making them! What do you use for your dough recipe? Do you use cheddar or other kinds of cheese? (We like Swiss in ours.)

Nancy, I had to smile, since we often take things out to the garage in the winter to stay cool. I'm very familiar with the free refrigeration in our climate!

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

Nope, we're purists. Just ground beef, onions, cabbage, & LOTS of black pepper. My German-Russian folks would come to haunt me if I put cheese in the beirocks. lol :)

I alternate between a white flour/potato dough & a multi-grain. I grew up with beirocks made from white flour but my grandparents said they used whole grain flour in Russia (Norka...30 miles SW of Saratov). White flour, in Norka, was only used for special occassions & beirocks were decidedly not special occassion food.

/tricia

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold - not in between hot and cold for long periods of time. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40° and 140°F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes.

The general suggested time for keeping food at room temperature is 2-hours - then refrigerate or freeze it. One hour if the temperature is hot (such as a picinic).

-Grainlady

Tricia, I learned to make these when my dh was working closely with a Mennonite community, and we loved them from first bite. I don't mind not being a purist, since my ethnic background is anything but pure! I alternate with the same dough you do; usually using my grandmother's potato dough, mixing in some whole grains at times. I think the sweeter dough really helps the overall taste. How many do you get when you make a recipe? I double the dough and just made 16, rather large buns.

Grainlady, I think it's the in-between that blurred the lines for me. When I said 3 hours, I usually meant that to include cutting the cabbage, onions, soaking, spinning then cooking. It usually doesn't sit out for more than 2 hours, but I can see I could easily overlap that by 30 minutes. I just need to make this ahead of time and dispense with the concern. Turning this into a two day process would also be easier than making it a long one day project. It's better to learn late rather than never!

I make the dough and while it's rising I cut the cabbage, fry the meat etc....
While the meat mix is simmering I roll out the dough and portion it out.....then put the still pretty hot meat into the dough...
No wonder I get leaks!!!
Next time I'll chill it first....
Linda C

If you cool it still covered, well-sealed, it's kinda like canning--it should be sterile inside so no bacterial growth.

At least that's how my mom the microbiologist justified similar techniques. (Of course it'll take longer to cool....)

Linda, I still get leaks sometimes, no matter what I do.

Fori, For some reason I thought the extra condensation would make the mixture more wet, which is something I try to avoid. Am I wrong about this?

I've never made what you're making, but I bet it would make it too soupy! I didn't think about that. Bad idea! Probably the quick-cool then refrigerate methods would work better. Especially if it's cold outside.

What is in the mix is there....no matter if it "steams" out and drips down or if it's there to begin with, the moisture content is the same....but if it cools with the lid off it will dry out somewhat.

My dear late MIL thought that the water that drips off a lid or covering when you cover a hot dish would "poision" you....so all food was left out of the refrigerator, uncovered, to cool before putting away in the refrigerator....including the stuffed thanksgiving turkey....
My poor FIL got sick every Thanksgiving, they blamed it on "rich food". My SIl reportedly got sick sometimnes too....I guess some are just more prone to food born illnesses than others.
But after the first Thanksgiving, I never ate there again for a Turkey dinner....the following year someone else had the meal.....and after that I did it....and was chastized for putting the turkey away before it was cooled and people had a chance to eat a sandwich!
As grain lady said....keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold"
....and with hot foods that must be chilled....make the transition fast!
Linda C