Brassói Aprópecsenye
Hungarian braised pork shoulder with onions and paprika, traditionally from the Carpathian town of Brașov. Tender, savory, and deeply flavored—served over egg noodles or with crusty bread.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 48g
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder, boneless
- 1.5 pounds onions
- 3 tablespoons Hungarian paprika (sweet or hot)
- 4 cloves garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1.5 cups beef broth
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels to remove surface moisture, which helps it brown better.
- 2
Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch cubes by first slicing it lengthwise into thick slabs, then cutting each slab crosswise into chunks about the size of a walnut.
- 3
Peel the onions, then cut them in half lengthwise from root to tip, then slice each half crosswise into half-moon slices about 1/4 inch thick.
- 4
Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 5
Set a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and wait 2 minutes until the bottom is hot to the touch.
- 6
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pot and let it shimmer and slide quickly when you tilt the pan, about 30 seconds.
- 7
Working in two batches, add the pork cubes to the hot oil in a single layer without crowding, and leave them undisturbed for 3 minutes until the bottoms turn deep golden brown like caramel.
- 8
Stir the browned pork cubes and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the exposed sides begin to brown.
- 9
Remove the first batch of browned pork to a clean plate using a slotted spoon, then repeat steps 7–8 with the remaining pork cubes.
- 10
Pour away all but 1 tablespoon of the fat left in the pot, then add the sliced onions to the remaining fat.
- 11
Stir the onions continuously over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until they soften and begin to turn translucent around the edges.
- 12
Add the minced garlic to the onions and stir continuously for 1 minute until the raw garlic smell disappears and you smell sweet, toasted garlic.
- 13
Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of paprika over the onions and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the paprika is fully coated in oil and smells strongly fragrant—this prevents the paprika from burning.
- 14
Sprinkle the caraway seeds over the paprika mixture and stir for 15 seconds until they smell toasted and fragrant.
- 15
Return all the browned pork to the pot, pouring in any meat juices that collected on the plate.
- 16
Pour in 1.5 cups of beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift up all the stuck-on brown bits—this adds deep flavor.
- 17
Stir in 1.5 teaspoons of salt and 0.5 teaspoon of black pepper until evenly mixed.
- 18
Bring the liquid to a boil by turning the heat to high and watching for large bubbles breaking the surface, about 3–5 minutes.
- 19
Reduce the heat to medium-low so the liquid simmers gently with small bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds—not a rolling boil.
- 20
Cover the pot with a lid, leaving it slightly ajar so steam can escape.
- 21
Braise for 1 hour, stirring once every 20 minutes, until the pork is fork-tender and breaks apart with gentle pressure from a spoon.
- 22
Taste the stew and add more salt or pepper in 1/4-teaspoon increments if needed—it should taste rich and savory, not bland or overly salty.
- 23
Ladle the pork and onions into shallow bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of meat, onions, and broth.
Tools you’ll need
- paper towels
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- large heavy-bottomed pot or 5-quart Dutch oven with lid
- wooden spoon
- slotted spoon
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- shallow bowls
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