Lacipecsenye is a popular fair food in Hungary, the main attraction of lacikonyha. Lacikonyha is a food stall at fair, which provides fried and roasted meats, fish, hurka and sausage. Lacipecsenye is made from pork, and served with sauteed onions and roasted potatoes.
Pork is marinated in a mixture of melted lard or goose fat, garlic, red pepper paste and spices. The meat can be deep-fried in a saute pan on the stove, or after searing in a skillet it can be cooked in the oven together with the onions and potatoes as you will see in the following recipe.
Ingredients:
- 8 slices boneless pork (1 cm / 1/2″ thick)
- 80 g (~3 oz) goose fat or lard
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp red pepper paste
- 1 tbsp sweet ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground caraway seeds
- 6-8 coriander seeds
- 3-4 big onions (red or yellow)
- 1-1,2 kg (~2 1/4 – 2 2/3 lbs) potatoes
- salt and pepper
For the meat choose fatty pork (e.g. pork neck), and the slices need to be 1 cm / 1/2″ thick (they won’t be flattened).
In a small bowl mix together melted goose fat or lard, crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, sweet paprika, red pepper paste, ground caraway seeds, crushed coriander seeds and some ground black pepper. Spoon this mixture on the pork, evenly covering both sides of the slices. Put the slices in a container, cover and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours; they can also be chilled overnight.
Peel and slice the onions (I used red onions). Peel and dice the potatoes, and keep them in cold water until use.
In a skillet heat 2-3 tablespoons of lard or goose fat and sear the pork slices on both sides until they get some color. Transfer them on a plate and set aside. Put the sliced onions in the same skillet and in the fat remained after the meat saute them for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
Place the pork slices in a large baking dish or casserole dish, disperse fried onions over them, then add the diced potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper.
Cover the dish with a lid or a piece of aluminium foil and put in the oven. Cook at 180°C / 356°F for 55-60 minutes, then remove the lid/alumnium foil, increase the heat to 210°C / 410°F (fan forced) and cook the food for further 20-25 minutes until the potatoes turn golden brown.
Remove the dish from the oven and let the food rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with pickles or salad.
