Meat with rice - Hungarian style
Many refer to this meat with rice as Hungarian risotto, although it has little to do with that, being a descendant of a Serbian dish. The Serbian “djuvec” is the predecessor of the Hungarian rice meat, which was a casserole dish with “letcho“. It originally ran as Serbian rice meat until it became Hungarian in the 1950s with a twist.
Another origin of meat with rice
The popular dish “Plov” or “Pilaf”, which has also been adopted into Russian cuisine, is a newcomer to Central Asian (Afghan, Uzbek, Tajik, Turkmen) cuisine.
Although Plov today actually means meat with rice, it can be prepared from a variety of grains (spelt, pearl barley) or mixed with rice. The real, traditional Plov is prepared with lamb meat, but nowadays the choice of meat is almost arbitrary, and even plov with fish is not uncommon.
The Spanish also have their own rice meat
In this context, we should also mention the Spanish Paella, a dish prepared without a lid in a wide, double-sided pan called Paella in the East and “Paellera” in others. The dish actually takes its name from this pan. The rice is colored by yellow with saffron. Other ingredients include dried peppers from Murcia, Andalusian olive oil and fresh vegetables, as well as juice from local lemons and a little dry white wine. The rice must not be stirred during cooking, so an even heat is very important, traditionally produced with wood. According to some experts, Paella was originally a fasting dish consisting of salted cod and rice. Today, the classic “Paella Valenciana” consists mainly of chicken or rabbit meat.
What makes meat with rice really delicious?
The basis for good “meat with rice” is a very tasty pork stew. The base is carefully prepared from onions, peppers and tomatoes. The meat is always cooked in just a little water, which creates the delicate roasted flavor that gives the stew its character. If possible, cook the rice with broth.
It is recommended to cut the meat into roughly 2 cm cubes: larger than this, it will take too long to cook, but smaller pieces will cook completely apart. Once diced, season with salt and mix, and set aside until used in the food. Of course, seasoning is essential: red pepper, cumin, and pepper round out the stew base.
The plus secret
Another piece of advice: Use high-quality lard, which adds flavor to the vegetable base and the entire dish.
Ingredients:
- 500 g diced pork shoulder or pork leg
- 2 tbsp of duck (or pig) fat
- 2 medium onions
- 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
- 1 cup of chopped yellow wax pepper
- 1 cup of chopped tomato
- 2 tablespoons of sweet hungarian paprika powder
- 3 cups of boiled white rice
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped parsley
Steps:
- Sauté the salted and chopped onions on the lard over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the crushed garlic, the chopped wax pepper, and the chopped tomato. Cook for about 20-25 minutes.
- Add the diced meat. Cook until starts to white. Season with salt & pepper. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Add paprika powder and cook until meat is tender (about 50-60 minutes). Add water if needed.
- Add boiled rice and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Finally, add parsley. Turn off the heat and let the dish sit for 10 minutes. Enjoy your lunch!
Watch our video about this recipe: