The recipe of vasi pecsenye comes from the Őrség, a historical and ethnographical region, which is also a national park, located in the most western corner of Hungary. The word őrség means guard in English; the region originally played a frontier-guarding role at the time of the Hungarian conquest. The Őrség is the homeland of many natural and cultural heritage treasures, among others some great dishes.

Vasi pecsenye is a pork roast soaked in garlic milk, coated with paprika flour and fried in oil or lard in a skillet on the stove. It’s usually made from tarja, a bone-in or boneless pork cut that comes from the upper part of the shoulder; it corresponds to Boston butt. If you prefer leaner meat, you can use boneless pork loin instead of pork butt.