Transylvanian Tochitura Recipes

Steps:

• Dice the pork butt and smoked sausage into 1 inch pieces.
• Dice smoked sausage into 1/2 inc pieces.
• Add vegetable oil and 1/2 cup of water into a large skillet.
• Heat over medium temperature until oil is hot.
• Add the pork, allowing meat to cook for approximately 1 hour.
• In the meantime you make the polenta (mamaliga). Follow the directions on how much water to add depending on how much polenta you want. Bring the water with salt to boil, turn the fire low and pour in the flower, stirring with a whisk. Let it boil for around 15 minutes.
• Add all the vegetables to the meat mixture and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.
• Fry an egg and put on top of the cooked polenta.
• Season with salt and black pepper.
• serve meat mixture and polenta with egg together.

Steps:

• Wash sauerkraut under cold running water then soak in cold water for 20 minutes to reduce sourness. Strain well, pressing out excess water. Note: I am a big fan of searing meat, because I think it gives sauces a deeper flavor. While the original recipe didn't say to do this-- I plan to sear the pork in some olive oil and then to continue with cooking the onion and garlic and carrying on with the rest of the steps. Melt butter in a 5-quart casserole; add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and cook a minute or two longer. Stir in paprika, pour in 1/2 cup of broth and bring to boil. Add the pork cubes. Spread sauerkraut over pork sprinkle with caraway seeds. Combine tomato puree, tomato paste and reserved broth, in a small bowl. Mix well and pour over sauerkraut. Bring to a boil. If using a crock-pot, transfer contents of casserole to crock-pot insert. Cover, and cook on high, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until pork is fork tender but still retains its shape. If using a conventional oven, preheat to 250°F. Cover casserole and transfer to the oven. Cook, covered, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until pork cubes are tender but still retain their shape. When the pork is tender, transfer meat and sauerkraut to a serving platter with high sides. Tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer the sauce to a 2-quart pan. Set over medium heat. Combine flour, heavy cream and sour cream in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Stir mixture into sauce and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Do not boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over meat and serve. Pass additional sour cream as a side. Note: I added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to this recipe, which we thought gave the sauce deep depth of flavor. We also served this over creamy mashed potatoes. This freezes really well.

Steps:

• Melt the lard in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the paprika and 1/2 cup of the stock and bring to a boil. Add the pork and simmer, covered, 1 hour.
• Add the sauerkraut, caraway seeds, tomato juice and remaining stock to the pot. Return it to a simmer, cover and cook for another hour, or until meat is very tender.
• Whisk the flour and sour cream together and carefully stir into the pot. Simmer 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Steps:

• Wash the sauerkraut thoroughly under cold running water, then soak it in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce its sourness. Strain well, pressing out all the water.
• Melt the butter in a 5-quart casserole and add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and cook a minute or two longer. Stir in the paprika, pour in 1/2 cup of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the pork cubes.
• Spread the sauerkraut over the pork and sprinkle it with the caraway seeds. In a small bowl, combine the tomato purée and the rest of the broth and pour the mixture over the sauerkraut. Bring the liquid to a boil once more, then reduce the heat to its lowest point. Season the cooking liquid with a pinch of salt, cover the casserole tightly and simmer for 1 hour. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid has not cooked away. Add a little stock or water if needed; the sauerkraut should be moist.
• When the pork is tender, combine the creams in a mixing bowl. Beat the flour into the creams with a whisk, then carefully stir this mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste. Serve in large, wide bowls, accompanied by a side of sour cream.