photo: niftyrecipe.com

Hungarian Pork Lard (Salo)

Hungarian cuisine was always different from all other in big amount of seasonings, so, salty pork lard in Hungarian style will be for sure remarkably tasty and absolutely special! Hungarians adore salty pork lard or so-called spicy salted lard! When a piece of pork lard delightfully melts on your tongue, there are no differences between the people or the countries. You only need to learn and share secrets of its salting to try lard in different interpretations and to look for the ideal recipe of salty lard with seasonings. So, we go to the market to buy a piece of fresh lard maybe with meat layers and prepare pork lard in Hungarian style! If your butcher sold you the freshest piece of lard - do not hurry to start salting it at once. Usually fresh lard in addition put for so-called ageing in the fridge (or in cold at 4-5 degrees above zero), for 1 day. Then it is possible to smooth out lard with a knife from possible impurity and to wipe properly with paper towel.

Ingredients

Pork lard

1 kg
Water

1.5 l
Salt

4-5 tbsp
Black tea

2 tbsp
Black pepper

1 tsp
Hot red pepper

1 tsp
Caraway

1 tsp
Coriander

1 tsp
Garlic

5 clove
Paprika

2 tbsp
Bay leaf

2-3 pcs
Allspice

5-9 pcs

Steps

1. Let's begin salting lard from preparation of brine. It will be based on strong tea that is why boil the specified amount of water in a saucepan, pour tea leaves and salt, pieces of bay leaf and peas of allspice. Boil brine for about 5 minutes on low fire.

2. Let’s prepare lard. Cut it into small bars so that it is convenient to place it in a pan with tea brine.

3. We put pieces of the cut lard in brine and steam on the lowest fire of your cooking surface for about 15-20 minutes.

4. Then take lard out, allow it to cool down and dry.

5. Meanwhile let’s prepare "the Hungarian coating". Crush in a mortar and mix all spices, except paprika. Properly let’s pound caraway seeds with coriander and two kinds of pepper.

6. Peel a head of garlic and prepare garlic gruel by passing cloves through a press.

7. Let’s join garlic and mix of spices from a mortar.

8. While lard does not absolutely cool down, let’s rub it with garlic and spices substance from all sides, intensively massing and rubbing with spicy gruel.

9. Then let’s roll garlic pieces in paprika (try not to leave a lot of paprika on lard as it can dull the taste of other spices).

10. Put the pieces of ready lard in a foil or baking paper, wrap it and leave for 10-12 hours at the room temperature so it becomes impregnated with coating, and then put on storage in the freezer.