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Maczanka po krakowsku
Maczanka po krakowsku: Kraków's pork shoulder roll dipped in caraway-onion braising juices
Long before burgers reached the Rynek, Kraków's taverns sold maczanka, a soft bread roll split, dunked in the cooking juices of slowly braised pork shoulder and stuffed with sliced meat. The name comes from maczać, to dip, and the dipping is the whole point: the roll should drip, so eat it over a plate with a knife and fork or a stack of napkins. The pork is braised with plenty of onion, caraway and marjoram until it slices like butter, and the juices go glossy and savoury. Serve it with a pickled cucumber and a sharp beetroot and horseradish relish (ćwikła). Where most people go wrong is rushing the braise at a boil, which tightens the meat instead of softening it. Chef's tip: braise the shoulder the day before, chill it in its juices and slice it cold; it cuts neatly and reheats beautifully in the liquid.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pork
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 2 tsp caraway seedslightly crushed
- 2 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
- 4 onionssliced into half-moons
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 ½ cups pork or chicken stockhot
To serve
- 6 pickled cucumbers (optional)sliced
- 6 tbsp beetroot and horseradish relish (ćwikła) (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Pat the 2 ⅝ lb boneless pork shoulder (neck), in one piece dry. Mix the 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp caraway seeds and 2 tsp dried marjoram and rub them all over the meat.
5 minStep 2: Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the pork on all sides for 10 minutes, until deep golden; lift it onto a plate.
10 minStep 3: Lower the heat to medium, add the 4 onions and fry for 10 minutes, scraping the base, until soft and amber. Stir in the 3 garlic cloves for 1 minute.
11 minStep 4: Return the pork with the 2 bay leaves and 4 allspice berries, pour in the 2 ½ cups pork or chicken stock so it comes a third of the way up, and bring to a bare simmer.
5 minStep 5: Cover and braise on the lowest heat (or in the oven at 325°F) for 1 hour 40 minutes, turning the meat every 30 minutes. The surface should only tremble.
100 minStep 6: Check the pork: a fork should slide in with no resistance and a probe in the centre should read well above 145°F (around 194°F for sliceable tenderness). Lift it onto a board and rest it for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 7: Meanwhile boil the juices with the onions for 5 minutes until slightly reduced and glossy; season to taste. Fish out the bay leaves.
5 minStep 8: Slice the pork thinly across the grain. Dip the cut sides of each of the 6 soft white bread rolls (kaiser-style) quickly into the hot juices, fill with pork and a spoon of onions, and spoon a little more juice over. Serve at once with 6 pickled cucumbers and 6 tbsp beetroot and horseradish relish (ćwikła).
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does maczanka po krakowsku take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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