by Ebony L. Morman 

Baba & Pop’s Handmade Pierogi crafts both traditional and contemporary flavors. Photo courtesy

For Megan Yurek, when it comes to pierogies, handmade and made-from-scratch is the only way to get it done. While it may seem easier to churn out the small bites by way of machinery, Yurek — armed with an authentic Polish family recipe — is more interested in the process. It may take a little more time, love, and attention, but each pierogi from Baba & Pop’s Handmade Pierogi is handled with care.

It’s the same process — and recipe — that her husband’s great grandparents, Baba and Pop, used in Poland after they emigrated to Canada. Since launching the business — started by her brother- and sister-in-law as a food truck in Colorado more than 10 years ago — in Charlotte last year, the Denver native has been busy meeting the demand. With stands at the Waxhaw, South End, Uptown, and Cotswold farmers markets, Yurek — along with her husband, Justin, and children who support at the markets — is building momentum with a niche product that’s hard to find.

“My husband and I are learning a lot,” she says. “This is our second season of selling pierogies and we’ve found that there are so many transplants here from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. It’s been really well received. We give out samples and when I get such positive feedback, it makes me feel good and like I’m doing the right thing.”

Yurek and her part-time team — which consists of personal chef Aniah “Chef FLii” Franklin and Oscar Johnson, chef and co-owner of Jimmy Pearls — spend ample time perfecting each pierogi at Carolina Commercial Kitchen, which isn’t lost on her customers. One of whom compared the potato and cheddar pierogi to a warm hug. There’s no better compliment, she says.

The secret is in the ingredients and preparation, which Yurek, who was previously a stay-at-home mom, learned more than 15 years ago when she first met her husband’s family on Thanksgiving at a pierogi making party. On that day — and each holiday since — every person was assigned a role. Someone prepared the dough, someone rolled the dough, another person stuffed the dough, someone folded the dough, another was in charge of cutting the dough, and finally, someone did the pinch and twist method.

Megan Yurek makes Baba & Pops pierogi by hand. Photo courtesy

These days, she’s still making it all from scratch, from roasting the Roma tomatoes to infusing olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes, then emulsifying the oil into the tomatoes after they are roasted for the tomato, basil, and mozzarella pierogi. Others include traditional flavors, such as potato and cheddar and sauerkraut, mushroom, and onion. Yurek recommends pairing the pulled pork pierogi with Duke’s Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce mixed with sour cream. There’s also the buffalo chicken pierogi and a roasted hatch green chili and Monterey Jack cheese pierogi.

“There’s a lot of time and preparation that goes into all of the ingredients to make the pierogi, so that’s kind of what sets us apart,” she says. “You’re getting real mashed potatoes and cheddar. A lot of work goes into them. It’s a huge production to make a pierogi, every single one gets touched about four to five times. They get a lot of love.”

With sales continuing to increase each month this year, it means Yurek has touched a lot of pierogies. There’s been record sales each month and this July, she’ll set an all time record. Each week, one or more markets sell out of inventory.

While the response has been great, the experience continues to be a learning process. Her goals include adding online pre-orders and adding a few more markets, including the Davidson and Charlotte Regional farmers markets, Yurek says.

“Once we get to six, we will take a breather and figure out the next steps, but we’re looking forward to adding more markets,” she says. “It’s exciting how this growth has taken place. There are so many really cool people I’ve met along the way. We’re going to be doing this every weekend. It’s exciting because it’s been super successful, and I’ve been so thankful.”