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They go by many names, Runzas, biddocks or cabbage pockets, but to most of Windsor’s German settlers they will always be a krautburger.
Just don't fill them with sauerkraut.
For decades, maybe centuries, the krautburger has been a staple of the German cuisine. A sweet-dough pocket filled simply with hamburger, cabbage and onion, it turned scrawny boys into big men on a farmer’s budget.
But that was then, and this is now. So why have Windsor restaurants gone cabbage happy?
Cozy Cow Dairy on Weld County Road 17, just north of U.S. 34, started the craze three years ago when they began offering krautburgers alongside their dairy products after the owner, Sherrill Hardesty, learned she needed a restaurant license to dip ice cream. An old recipe belonging to Hardesty’s mother turned into profit for the roadside business that started as a way to get children involved in agriculture.
But over the past few months, many area restaurants have added the German sandwich to their menus. And many more are considering it.
Steve Troiano, owner of Café Italiano, 1153 Main St., added krautburgers to his pizzas and calzones four months ago, a move he said was smart for business.
“It's been pretty good,” he said. “I've had a lot of success. Nobody in the area was doing them at the time, but I wouldn't be surprised if McDonald’s added them next.”
Troiano, who bakes up his burgers once a week, wouldn't divulge how many he sells, but he said he's doing well with them.
The krautburger, which gets its name from the German word “kraut” for cabbage, originated with the Germans who migrated in the late 1700s to Russia, where they settled in the countryside and worked on farms. Like other unsettled ethnic groups, they were poor, and the krautburger was a cheap food that could be easily carried to the fields. After the German-Russian peasants were recruited to become farm workers in the United States, including the Windsor area, they brought the pockets with them.
Florian Wehrli, owner of Chef’s Basket’s, 1345 Water Valley Parkway, got into the business of krautburgers this past fall as a way of providing his customers an inexpensive meal they could easily take on the go, he said.
“I always like to sell original products from an area,” Wehrli said. “This is local food for northern Colorado, especially Windsor. When I first came to Windsor, I thought they were interesting. And I wanted to do something more affordable for my customers.”
Although the basic recipe consists of hamburger, cabbage and onions, variations on the burger have developed over the years, with most of the restaurants also offering a cheddar/jalapeno version. Chef’s basket also offers a chicken and pork option.
“Classic still sells the best,” said Wehrli, who makes about 70 krautburgers daily.
All the burgers sell between $2.50 and $6 each, depending on size and location.
Shanna Smith, manager at Cozy Cow, said they bake about five dozen weekly.
But sales don't stop with Cozy Cow, Café Italiano and Chef's Basket. Fireside Restaurant, 1149 Main St., will begin selling krautburgers soon, and Windsor Main Street Grill, 1294 Main St., is considering it as well.
“It’s a local favorite,” Wehrli said. “And at $3.99, it’s cheaper than Subway.”
KRAUTBURGER RECIPE
Make them at home:
(Makes 6-8 krautburgers)
Dough:
1 cup scalded milk
1 pkg. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil
3 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
Mix milk, oil and sugar and let cool to room temperature. Mix yeast with water. When yeast is dissolved, mix with milk mixture. Add three cups of the flour to begin and continue adding up to another 1/2 cup until dough goes together well. Let dough raise for 60 to 90 minutes. Meanwhile, make mixture.
Meat mixture:
1 pound hamburger
1 small head of cabbage
1 small onion
Salt and pepper to taste (it may need a lot as basic recipe is bland)
Brown the hamburger in a skillet. Drain grease. Add chopped cabbage and onion. Cover with a small amount of water and let steam until cabbage is tender. Add salt and pepper while cooking.
When dough is ready, roll into a large, flat piece and cut into 8-inch by 8-inch squares. Spoon mixture into middle of square and pinch up the sides. Lay pinched side down on greased baking sheet and bake in 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve plain, with mustard or gravy.
— Recipe courtesy Dorthy Peif, former owner Al's Diner, Greeley, and true Russian-German.
Just don't fill them with sauerkraut.
For decades, maybe centuries, the krautburger has been a staple of the German cuisine. A sweet-dough pocket filled simply with hamburger, cabbage and onion, it turned scrawny boys into big men on a farmer’s budget.
But that was then, and this is now. So why have Windsor restaurants gone cabbage happy?
Cozy Cow Dairy on Weld County Road 17, just north of U.S. 34, started the craze three years ago when they began offering krautburgers alongside their dairy products after the owner, Sherrill Hardesty, learned she needed a restaurant license to dip ice cream. An old recipe belonging to Hardesty’s mother turned into profit for the roadside business that started as a way to get children involved in agriculture.
But over the past few months, many area restaurants have added the German sandwich to their menus. And many more are considering it.
Steve Troiano, owner of Café Italiano, 1153 Main St., added krautburgers to his pizzas and calzones four months ago, a move he said was smart for business.
“It's been pretty good,” he said. “I've had a lot of success. Nobody in the area was doing them at the time, but I wouldn't be surprised if McDonald’s added them next.”
Troiano, who bakes up his burgers once a week, wouldn't divulge how many he sells, but he said he's doing well with them.
The krautburger, which gets its name from the German word “kraut” for cabbage, originated with the Germans who migrated in the late 1700s to Russia, where they settled in the countryside and worked on farms. Like other unsettled ethnic groups, they were poor, and the krautburger was a cheap food that could be easily carried to the fields. After the German-Russian peasants were recruited to become farm workers in the United States, including the Windsor area, they brought the pockets with them.
Florian Wehrli, owner of Chef’s Basket’s, 1345 Water Valley Parkway, got into the business of krautburgers this past fall as a way of providing his customers an inexpensive meal they could easily take on the go, he said.
“I always like to sell original products from an area,” Wehrli said. “This is local food for northern Colorado, especially Windsor. When I first came to Windsor, I thought they were interesting. And I wanted to do something more affordable for my customers.”
Although the basic recipe consists of hamburger, cabbage and onions, variations on the burger have developed over the years, with most of the restaurants also offering a cheddar/jalapeno version. Chef’s basket also offers a chicken and pork option.
“Classic still sells the best,” said Wehrli, who makes about 70 krautburgers daily.
All the burgers sell between $2.50 and $6 each, depending on size and location.
Shanna Smith, manager at Cozy Cow, said they bake about five dozen weekly.
But sales don't stop with Cozy Cow, Café Italiano and Chef's Basket. Fireside Restaurant, 1149 Main St., will begin selling krautburgers soon, and Windsor Main Street Grill, 1294 Main St., is considering it as well.
“It’s a local favorite,” Wehrli said. “And at $3.99, it’s cheaper than Subway.”
KRAUTBURGER RECIPE
Make them at home:
(Makes 6-8 krautburgers)
Dough:
1 cup scalded milk
1 pkg. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil
3 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
Mix milk, oil and sugar and let cool to room temperature. Mix yeast with water. When yeast is dissolved, mix with milk mixture. Add three cups of the flour to begin and continue adding up to another 1/2 cup until dough goes together well. Let dough raise for 60 to 90 minutes. Meanwhile, make mixture.
Meat mixture:
1 pound hamburger
1 small head of cabbage
1 small onion
Salt and pepper to taste (it may need a lot as basic recipe is bland)
Brown the hamburger in a skillet. Drain grease. Add chopped cabbage and onion. Cover with a small amount of water and let steam until cabbage is tender. Add salt and pepper while cooking.
When dough is ready, roll into a large, flat piece and cut into 8-inch by 8-inch squares. Spoon mixture into middle of square and pinch up the sides. Lay pinched side down on greased baking sheet and bake in 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve plain, with mustard or gravy.
— Recipe courtesy Dorthy Peif, former owner Al's Diner, Greeley, and true Russian-German.
