Brassói aprópecsenye

Ingredients

• 2¼ lbpotatoespeeled (new potatoes just scrubbed), cut into cubes or sticks, cooked until crisp
• 1½ lbporkideally tenderloin, cut into strips
• 5¼ ozsmoked baconcut into thin strips, rendered until crisp
• 8 clovesgarliccrushed
• 2 tbsplardfor frying the potatoes; oil works too
• 2 tspmarjoramdried
• 1 tspCuminground
• 2 tsppaprikasweet or smoked
• ¾ cupwaterto deglaze the meat
• saltto taste
• black pepperground
• 1 bunchparsleyfresh, roughly chopped, for garnish
• 7 ozgreen peascooked with the meat (optional)

Method

1. Prepping the potatoesPeel the potatoes (new potatoes just need a good scrub) and cut them into cubes or sticks.
2. Crisping the potatoesCook the potatoes until crisp: either fry them in the lard (or oil) in a pan until golden all over, parboiling them for 5 to 6 minutes first if you like, or bake them in the oven at 390 °F for about 15 to 20 minutes. Keep them warm.
3. Rendering the baconCut the smoked bacon into thin strips and render it slowly in a large pan until crisp. Lift out the crispy bits and set them aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
4. Searing the porkCut the pork into strips and sear them in the hot bacon fat over high heat until well browned on all sides.
5. Adding garlic and spicesAdd the crushed garlic, marjoram, cumin and paprika to the meat and fry only briefly so the garlic and paprika don't turn bitter. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Deglazing and reducingDeglaze with the water and let the pork braise for a few minutes until most of the liquid has cooked away. If you're using green peas, add them now and let them cook along with the meat.
7. Tossing, garnishing, servingFold the potatoes into the pork without frying any further, so they stay crisp. Scatter over the parsley and the crispy bacon bits and serve straight away, piping hot.

Tips and variations

For a juicier version, braise the pork covered until tender, cook the peas along with it and reduce the sauce uncovered at the end. You can also deglaze with stock or white wine instead of water. If you want it lighter, skip the bacon and fry everything in oil; for a meat-free take, coat smoked tofu in spices and starch and crisp it up in the air fryer alongside the potatoes. To serve: bring the pan straight to the table while the potatoes are still crackling, and scatter the bacon bits over right at the very end.