Photos of recipes from the new book Tender Grassfed Barbecue
Photos of recipes from the cookbook Tender Grassfed Meat
Hungarian Potato Dish Is Great for Hot Weather
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat
Potatoes with Hungarian Flavors
It is often hard to choose which recipe to put into a book. I had developed two recipes for Hungarian-style potatoes, but there was room for only one. Another version of this recipe will be in my new book, which will be finished soon. But this version is so good I decided to post it so my readers can enjoy it.
This recipe is based on the traditional Hungarian flavor combination of onions, paprika, and bacon fat. This simple combination results in a rich, sweet, savory flavor that is a joy to taste. This dish is cooked at low heat on top of the stove, which makes it a good choice for a side dish on a hot day. Actually, it tastes so good that it can be enjoyed in any weather.
The basic Hungarian flavor base is made by sautéing onions in bacon fat until lightly colored, lowering the heat, and adding paprika. Very simple, but care must be taken in the selection of ingredients.
I recommend using organic potatoes and organic onions for this dish, as they have a better flavor.
The paprika should be from Hungary, if possible, and should be sweet. However, you could, if necessary, make it with sweet paprika (dulce) from Spain, or organic paprika.
I also recommend using bacon that does not contain nitrates, or other artificial preservatives, preferably from pastured pigs. The bacon absolutely must be very fat, as plenty of bacon fat is necessary for the success of this recipe.
Like many traditional recipes, this dish is simple, but the flavor is over the top, being much more than the sum of its parts.
INGREDIENTS
Filtered water for boiling
1 teaspoon coarse unrefined sea salt
6 medium organic potatoes, peeled, and quartered lengthwise
4 thick slices fat bacon, without nitrates
2 medium organic yellow onions, sliced
1 tablespoon organic or imported sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
DIRECTIONS
1.     Heat a medium-sized pan of filtered water to boiling. Add the salt and the potatoes, and bring it back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and let the potatoes cook at a slow boil for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
2.     Place the bacon in a cold heavy-bottomed frying pan. Turn the heat to medium. When the fat starts to melt, lower the heat to medium low. Turn the bacon from time to time so the fat can render from both sides without burning.
3.     When most of the fat has rendered from the bacon, add the onions and sauté over medium low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should soften and take on a golden color.
4.     Turn the heat down to low. Add the paprika and mix well into the onions. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring, being careful not to burn the paprika.
5.     Add the potatoes and stir well, making sure that all the potatoes are coated by the fat and paprika. Use a heavy spoon to break each potato quarter into two or three pieces as you stir.
6.     Turn the heat back up to medium and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes, turning the mixture occasionally.
7.     Cover the pan, and turn the heat to low. Cook for another 10 minutes, lifting the lid and stirring occasionally.
You should wind up with a meltingly soft, caramelized mélange of onions and potatoes, subtly flavored by the paprika that goes well with any barbecued meat.
This post is part of Weekend Gourmet, Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday blog carnivals.
Frugal, Delicious Hungarian Hash
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat
Ingredients: grassfed meat, bacon, potatoes, eggs, onions, and paprika.
What to do with leftovers is often an issue. The very word “leftovers†is unattractive. However, leftovers can be the foundation of some absolutely wonderful and frugal dishes. Meat was so valuable and scarce in traditional Europe that it could never be wasted. The Europeans developed many traditional dishes based on leftover meat, usually adding many ingredients to stretch the meat. This recipe is based on this European tradition, and is very tasty and nourishing.
The word “hash†comes from the word “hache,†which means “to chop†in French. There are many variations, from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, England, and other countries. All of the recipes include meat, potatoes, onions, eggs, and plenty of fat. I have tried many of these versions with grassfed meat leftovers, and they were all good. But my very favorite is this one, which I based on the traditional Hungarian flavor combination of bacon, onions, and paprika. I continue the European tradition of cooking potatoes with plenty of fat. This dish is so good that there is nothing “leftover†about it. In fact, when my family eats this dish, nothing is left over.
Serves 4
1 to 2 cups of leftover grassfed meat (beef, bison, or lamb, or any mixture of the three), cut into small cubes, approximately ½ inch
1 large or 2 medium organic onions, sliced
4 medium organic potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes.
6 slices natural uncured fat bacon
1 teaspoon paprika, organic or imported from Europe, preferably Hungary
4 eggs, preferably pastured
- Place the slices of bacon next to each other in a cold 12 inch frying pan, preferably cast iron. Put the pan on the stove, turn the heat to medium, and cook the bacon, turning as necessary, until most of the fat has been rendered from the bacon. The bacon should be fairly crisp at this point. Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Add the sliced onions, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the paprika and stir it into the onions. Continue cooking for another 4 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring and turning the potato cubes.
- Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the meat, and stir until the meat is browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Crumble the reserved bacon and stir into the dish.
- Carefully break the eggs over the hash, and cook just until the yolks set.
Serve and enjoy this very nutritious meal.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.
This post is part of Pennywise Platter at the Nourishing Gourmet.