Romanian Tochitura Recipe
This Romanian tochitura recipe is a comfort food, made from different types of pork cuts, as well as sausages and offal. It is a delicious dish that is usually eaten during the month of December.
Equipment
- 1 cast iron or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 500 gr pork leg
- 250 gr pork liver
- 250 gr smoked pork sausages
- 150 ml white wine
- 10 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp tomato concentrate
- 2 tbsp pork fat/lard or 50 mil vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- pinch spicy paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
To serve with:
- polenta
- telemea or burduf cheese grated
- fried eggs
Instructions
- Wash the meat and cut it in chunks.
- Add the pork fat or the oil in the cast iron, and turn the heat to medium.
- Once the pork fat dissolves, add the pork meat and brown it gently on all sides.
- Once the meat is browned and has started to leave water in the pot, add the sausages and wait for the liquid to dissolve.
- Pour the white wine, cook for 5-10 minutes, so the alcohol evaporates.
- Add the bay leaves, the sweet and the spicy paprika, the dried thyme, the tomato paste, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Reduce the temperature to low, put a lid on, and wait for the meat to cook for roughly one hour. The time depends on the age of the pork. Make sure to check the meat after one hour – if it’s tender, it means it’s cooked.
- Check the stew from time to time and stir it, checking the level of the liquid. Add more water if the liquid evaporates too much.
- Once the pork is cooked, add the chopped liver and the crushed garlic to the cast iron. Leave to cook for another 10 minutes and then turn the heat off.
- Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Serve with polenta, telemea or burduf cheese grated over, and a fried egg on top.