Stefánia-vagdalt

Ingredients

• 1½ lbground porkbase of the mixture; can also be half pork, half beef
• 4egghard-boiled and peeled, placed in the centre
• 2eggraw, to bind the mixture
• 1Egg yolkfor brushing the surface (optional)
• 2Bread rollsoaked and squeezed dry; white bread works too
• ¾ cupmilkfor soaking the rolls, water as alternative (optional)
• 1onionfinely diced, usually sweated until translucent
• 3 clovesgarlicgrated or crushed
• 1 tbspPaprika powderadd off the heat so it does not turn bitter
• 2 tbsplardfor sweating the onion and greasing the tin; oil as alternative
• 3 tbspbreadcrumbsfor the tin and for dusting
• 1 bunchparsleyfresh, finely chopped
• 1 tspmarjoramdried, into the mixture (optional)
• 1 pinchNutmegfreshly grated (optional)
• saltto taste
• black pepperfreshly ground
• ¾ cupwaterpoured into the tray, yields pan juices (optional)

Method

1. Hard-boil the eggs, cool them under cold water and peel them, then trim the ends slightly so they sit snugly against each other later. Break up the stale rolls, soak them in milk or water for 15 minutes and squeeze them out firmly.
2. Finely dice the onion and sweat it in the lard until translucent, then add the grated garlic for a moment. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the sweet paprika – off the heat it won't turn bitter – and let everything cool.
3. Knead the ground pork with the squeezed rolls, the onion base, the raw eggs, the chopped parsley, salt, pepper, marjoram and nutmeg for several minutes, until the mixture holds together well.
4. Fry a small patty of the mixture in a pan as a test, taste it and adjust the seasoning.
5. Grease a loaf tin or baking tray with lard and dust it with breadcrumbs. Press in half the mixture, hollow out a channel along the length and lay the boiled eggs in a tight row.
6. Cover with the remaining mixture, press firmly all round and shape an even loaf with a smooth surface. Brush the top with egg yolk or melted lard and pour the water into the base of the tray.
7. Bake at 160–390 °F for 40–60 minutes, basting now and then with the fat in the tin and leaving it uncovered at the end so the top browns.
8. Let the loaf rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with the pan juices as a sauce, alongside mashed potatoes and pickles.

Tips and variations

Instead of pure pork you can use half pork, half beef. If you like, layer cheese and Hungarian dry sausage into the filling as well. For an especially juicy loaf, cook it in a roasting bag or covered and only form the crust in the last 15 minutes without the lid. Rolls soaked in milk rather than water give a milder mixture. And do let the loaf cool completely once in a while and slice it thin when cold – with pickles, it's almost better the next day.