AI-generated image
Grechka po-kupecheski
Merchant-style buckwheat
Grechka po-kupecheski (гречка по-купечески): merchant-style buckwheat cooked with pork, carrot, onion and tomato
Russian merchants of the nineteenth century liked their buckwheat with meat in it, and "merchant-style" grechka became a hearty one-pan supper that students, soldiers and busy parents still cook today. Cubes of pork shoulder are browned with onion and carrot, enriched with tomato, then roasted buckwheat simmers in the same pan until every grain is separate and steeped in the juices. It is earthy, savoury and filling, best with a salted cucumber or a spoon of tsakhdon-style garlic sour cream. The usual slip is stirring the buckwheat while it cooks, which breaks the grains into mush; cover the pan and leave it alone. Pork pieces should be fully cooked to 71 °C. Chef's tip: toast the buckwheat in the pan for a minute before adding water to deepen its nutty taste.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz pork shouldercut into 2 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 carrotcoarsely grated
- 2 cloves garlicchopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 9 oz roasted buckwheat (kasha)rinsed
- 2 ¼ cups boiling water
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperground
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅓ oz fresh dill (optional)chopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a deep lidded frying pan over a high heat and brown the 14 oz pork shoulder for 6–7 minutes, until well coloured on all sides.
7 minStep 3: Stir in the 2 cloves garlic and 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until the paste darkens.
1 minStep 4: Add the 9 oz roasted buckwheat (kasha) and stir for 1 minute, until it smells toasty.
1 minStep 5: Pour in the 2 ¼ cups boiling water, add the 1 ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 1 bay leaf, bring to the boil, then cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 18–20 minutes without stirring, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender.
20 minStep 6: Check that a cube of pork reads 160°F. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork, remove the bay leaf and serve with ⅓ oz fresh dill.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does grechka po-kupecheski take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Indian
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Khao kluk kapiShrimp paste rice
Everything on this central Thai plate is arranged in little heaps around a mound of rice tossed with garlic and fermented shrimp paste: sticky caramelised pork (moo wan), threads of sour green mango, shallots, chillies, sliced long beans, crisp dried shrimp and ribbons of thin omelette. You mix a bit of each into every spoonful, so salty, sweet, sour and hot arrive together. It's a favourite at Bangkok's curry-and-rice shops and a clever way to use up yesterday's rice at home; lime wedges and cucumber cool it down. Chef's tip: use day-old jasmine rice straight from the fridge, because freshly cooked rice clumps and smears the shrimp paste instead of coating each grain.
Thai