Rakott csülök – Layered pork shank

by | Jan 13, 2023 | Meat dishes

It’s commonly said that eating pork on New Year’s Day brings good luck, so we gave it a chance and welcomed the New Year with layered pork shank (rakott csülök). Pork shank, which consists of bone, lean meat, fat and connective tissues, is often overlooked, but if it’s cooked properly, it can be a delicious and tender cut of pork.

Layered pork shank
Layered pork shank (rakott csülök) – photo: zserbo.com

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg (~2 1/4 lbs) smoked pork shank, bone-in or boneless
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4-5 allspice corns
  • 8-10 black pepper corns
  • 1 kg (~2 1/4 lbs) potatoes
  • 2 big onions
  • 500 g (~1 lb + 2 oz) sour cream
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 eggs
  • salt and pepper to taste

Soak the smoked pork shank in cold water for 4-5 hours (length of soaking depends on the meat’s saltiness – soaking it overnight can also be an option).

Boneless smoked pork shank
Boneless smoked pork shank – photo: zserbo.com

Place the meat in a large pot of clean water (discard soaking water), add bay leaf, allspice and black pepper corns, cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and slowly simmer until very tender. If you want to use the meat immediately, transfer the shank onto a plate and let it cool. If you prepare the dish only the following day, let the meat cool in the cooking liquid while putting the covered pot in a cool, but frostless place.

Cook potatoes with their skin on in a pot of water until tender. Drain and peel them.

Chop the shank (meaty parts can be pulled apart easily with a fork), slice the onions.

In a small bowl mix together sour cream, eggs, crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

Grease a baking pan or a casserole dish. Put a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the potatoes. Cover with half of the chopped meat, then half of the sliced onions. Now comes another layer of sliced potatoes, salt and pepper, then pour one-third of the sour cream mixture over it. Overlay with the rest of the smoked pork and onion slices. Finish layering with the remaining potatoes, salt and pepper them, and finally pour the sour cream on the top. Cook in the oven at 200°C / 392°F for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with pickles or green salad.

Before serving – photo: zserbo.com

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Hungarian cottage cheese

This is what Hungarian túró looks like

You often ask me what kind of cottage cheese (or curd cheese or farmer's cheese - call it what you want) I use in the recipes. In Hungary the store-bought cottage cheese is dry and crumbly as you can see in the picture. So if a recipe calls for túró, I mean this type. If you can't obtain túró, you can try to make your own from whole milk. Click on the link below.

Metric system vs cup

In Hungary metric units are in use, all the recipes on this website are based on this system, so a kitchen scale is necessary. Since I’m not familiar with cup as a measurement unit, I convert grams to cups by using an online converter. The values in brackets, therefore, are only approximate volumes, so, please, double-check them before you start cooking.

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