Bulgarian pork stew - Bulgarisk fläskgryta

BULGARIAN PORK STEW
Bulgarisk fläskgryta

Lots of taste in one pot. Meat. lots of vegetables and rice melts together in this hearty stew.

4 servings

1 1/3 lbs lean, boneless shoulder of pork

1 onion
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon paprika
salt
2 cups water
2 potatoes, firm
2 tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
3½ oz green beans
5 oz long-grained rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Rinse, wipe off and dice the meat in 3 x 3 cm large pieces. Peel and finely chop onion and garlic. Melt the fat in a large pot and brown the meat in turns. Add onion and garlic and sautée with the meat. Mix in the tomato purée and paprika, stir and sautée for another minute or so. Add salt and 2/3 to ¾ cup of the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes.

Peel and dice the potatoes. Scald and skin the tomatoes, remove the pips and dice the pulp. Cut the sweet peppers in half, trim and shred them. Rinse and trim the beans and cut in pieces. Rinse the rice and pour that plus potatoes and vegetables in the pot. Add remaining water and simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes and vegetables are tender.

Serve the casserole piping hot and sprinkled with parsley.

If you want an extra tender meat, you cut off all the fat. Cut this in small dice

and melt it down on low heat in a pot. Brown the meat in its own fat and add no extra fat for the cooking. Pour off excess fat from browning the meat and drain the meat on paper towels. Add onion and garlic and continue from the tomato purée and onwards according to the recipe. The slow braising makes the meat tender.

Enjoy!

Bella