Other common fillings include fatty bacon, fatback (speķis), mixtures of ground or finely chopped meats (ground beef, ham and chicken with or without bacon), fish, cabbage, pressed cottage cheese, stewed cabbage or sauerkraut.

This is a fairly standard white bread dough, with a varying amount of fat in it, depending on the particular family's recipe.

Allowing the dough to proof and rise takes several hours, during which time the meat from the previous day is sauteed over a very low flame for a few minutes to ensure that the flavours in the filling meld a bit.

Pīrāgi were not a seasonal dish in Latvian society, because most ingredients needed to make the different varieties were available from the pantry year round.

One of the most popular and familiar Latvian Ziemassvētki folk songs mentions pīrāgi: Ziemassvētki sabraukuši Rakstītām kamanām Pīrāgam nabagam Abi gali apdeguši Christmas arrived In a decorated sleigh Oh that poor bacon pie Both ends were burnt