Podvarak
Podvarak (Подварак): Serbian sauerkraut baked with onions under pork shoulder
On Serbian winter tables, at Christmas, slava feast days and Sunday lunch in Vojvodina farmhouses, podvarak is the sauerkraut that has drunk up the roast. Shredded fermented cabbage is fried with plenty of onion and paprika, then baked under pieces of pork shoulder (turkey is the other favourite) until the top of the kraut caramelises and the meat falls from the bone. It is sharp, sweet and savoury at once; serve it with mashed potato or bread and pickled peppers. Fry in lard for the old-fashioned flavour or sunflower oil if you prefer. Baking it dry is the common mistake: the cabbage needs water and a tight cover first, or the edges scorch before it softens. Chef's tip: uncover for the last 40 minutes and baste the meat; the sticky, browned edges of the kraut are the prized bit.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb bone-in pork shoulder steaksabout 4
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp sweet paprikadivided
- 3 tbsp lard or sunflower oildivided
- 3 onionssliced
- 2 ¼ lb sauerkrautdrained
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 ¼ cups water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Season the 2 ¼ lb bone-in pork shoulder steaks with the 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and half the 1 tsp sweet paprika.
2 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Heat half the 1 ½ tbsp lard or sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the pork for 4 minutes a side, until deep brown; it will still be raw inside. Set aside on a plate and wash up after handling raw pork.
10 minStep 3: Lower the heat, add the rest of the 1 ½ tbsp lard or sunflower oil and fry the 3 onions for 10 minutes, until soft and golden.
10 minStep 4: Taste the 2 ¼ lb sauerkraut and rinse once if very sharp, then squeeze. Stir it into the onions with the rest of the 1 tsp sweet paprika, the 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 bay leaves and ½ tsp black peppercorns and fry for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Spread the cabbage in a roasting dish, pour in the 1 ¼ cups water and sit the pork on top with its juices. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 75 minutes.
75 minStep 6: Uncover, baste the pork and bake for 40 minutes more, until the kraut is golden brown on top and the pork pulls from the bone. A probe in the thickest part should read well over 160°F.
40 minStep 7: Rest for 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaves and serve.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does podvarak take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 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 sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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