I love Hungarian food. And this is a quick and easy recipe for a really delicious Hungarian paprikás. The combination of sweet and smoked paprika lends an amazing flavor to this creamy, savory, meat studded sauce. And when served over polenta containing a sheep’s milk cheese, the result is a mouth full of heaven.

For this recipe, based on a recipe from katlynskitchen.com, I used leftover pork tenderloin medallions which worked really well. But if you don’t happen to have leftover pork, you can start with uncooked pork with the same result. (Instructions included below for starting with uncooked pork.)

But don’t skip making the polenta. If you don’t happen to have Pecorino Romano in your fridge, you can certainly use Parmigiano-Reggiano. But if you have never tasted Pecorino Romano, this is a great time to learn about this amazing cheese. We love it! And I always have a big old hunk of it (thank you Costco) in our fridge. It is perfect in all kinds of dishes, and it routinely displays the longevity of a Twinkie. (It doesn’t get blue fuzz around the edges even after a couple of months.) For those of you unfamiliar with this marvelous cheese, a bit of information from the Spruce Eats site:

“Pecorino Romano is an ancient Italian cheese made from 100% sheep’s milk. The milk comes from sheep bred in the wild and fed on natural pastures in Lazio, the province of Grosseto in Tuscany, and the island of Sardinia. It is one of four Italian sheep’s milk cheeses that benefits from protected designation of origin (P.D.O.) status and continues to be made using only traditional methods in its areas of origin.

Pecorino Romano is a hard cheese with a smooth, thin, natural rind. It’s white to pale straw in color, and it’s distinguished by its crumbly texture and an intense salty flavor which increases with age. While Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese have similar uses, they are different. Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard cow’s milk cheese. It’s nuttier and sweeter than Pecorino Romano, which is decidedly saltier. Depending on the recipe, Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano can be interchangeable or combined, and they are both ideal grating cheeses.” 

So, I guess there’s nothing else to say about this recipe. So, I’ll close for today and go make some granola. Dinner is already prepared. Leftovers. (I’m really learning to love leftovers.) Just a simple green salad to complete the meal, and dinner will be on the table. No fuss, no muss. It’s my lucky day!

As always, be happy and stay healthy.

Peace and love to all.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ sm. onion, chopped

6 oz. button or cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 (14.5-oz.) can tomatoes, plus juice (preferably Italian tomatoes)

½ c. chicken stock  

½ lb. (plus or minus) leftover* pork tenderloin or pork roast, cut into ¾ inch cubes

1 T. sweet (regular) paprika (use Hungarian or Spanish paprika in a tin for best flavor)

½ tsp. smoked paprika 

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. dried caraway seeds, crushed

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2/3 c. sour cream

1 T. freshly chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large, covered pan. (I use my Le Creuset Dutch oven.) Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the canned tomatoes, chicken stock, diced cooked pork, sweet and smoked paprika, thyme, caraway seed, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 90 minutes, or until the meat is fork tender. Stir periodically. If more liquid is required, add a bit more chicken broth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Just before serving, remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

Great served over polenta or hot al dente noodles if you prefer. Just before serving, garnish with fresh parsley.

*If you don’t have leftover pork, simply chunk up some uncooked pork tenderloin or roast and brown the meat in a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, covered pan. Then add the onion and proceed as directed.

CREAMY PECORINO-ROMANO POLENTA (PULISZKA)

3 c. chicken broth

pinch sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

¾ c. polenta (coarsely ground cornmeal) (not instant or fast cooking variety)

2-3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or your favorite hard sheep’s cheese)

Bring broth, salt, and pepper to a boil in a medium-sized, covered saucepan. Whisk the dry polenta slowly into the boiling broth until all of the ground corn is stirred in with no lumps remaining.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking continuously until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. (Polenta mixture should still be slightly liquid.) Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 7 minutes or so. (When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon.) Polenta is done when the texture is creamy, and the individual grains of ground corn are tender.

Remove from heat and gently stir in the butter until partially melted. Then add in the Pecorino Romano until the cheese too has melted.

Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken. Stir, then taste to see if additional salt or pepper is required.