Leskovacka Muckalica / Muckalica

Notice the absence of an appropriate translation for this recipe. Yeah, I had no idea how to go about even attempting to translate it. It’s not a stew and it’s not a gravy. It’s not a sauce. It’s literally its own thing – a Muckalica! By the way, am I allowed to even call it an authentic recipe if I did not use grilled meat? I’m sure if I can’t, people on my IG profile will surely let me know. For now, let me tell you about a comfort food you’ll be making over and over this fall and winter.

I’ve had Muckalica maybeeee 3 times in my life – it’s just not something I think of often and that sucks for me because this is so good. Maybe it’s because we aren’t from the region of Leskovac or it just hasn’t made its way into my family’s meal rotation but I feel like we are heavily missing out. In fact, when I was asking around on how to make this I got so many varying directions I decided to just make it my own at this point. And needless to say not a spoonful was left by the end of the day because we thoroughly enjoyed every last bite. I probably said “why don’t I make this more often” at least 50 times.

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and few. It’s not at all complicated and it tastes even better the next day. This would be a perfect dish to make for a crowd as it’s rich, decadent, and stick-to-your-ribs good. The smokiness from the roasted pepper and bacon really brings it all together and it screams Fall. This dish is eaten with a fork, but I like to take some soft, fresh bread and dip it right in the sauce, scooping up some of the ingredients as I go. I swear it tastes better that way.

I hope you give this one a try soon, especially as we get deeper into the Fall season. It makes an amazing potluck dish and you can cut down on your cooking time if you use already grilled pork.

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Leskovacka Muckalica / Muckalica

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: Main Dish, EntreeCuisine: serbian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Leskovacka Muckalica – a traditional favorite that’s stick to your ribs good!

Ingredients

• 1 lb (~450 g) pork shoulder (choose a fattier piece of meat) OR 4-5 grilled pork skewers

• 6-8 pieces of thick smoked bacon

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 4-6 large roasted red peppers, chopped

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 cup (235 ml) water

• 1-2 tablespoons Vegeta seasoning, to taste

• 2 tablespoons Paprika (Aleva paprika), to taste

• Salt

• Black Pepper (Biber)

Directions

• If using raw meat, chop it up into small pieces. In a large non-stick skillet fry the meat until seared on the outside. Don’t worry about cooking it all the way through. Remove from pan and set aside.
• To the skillet add the chopped onion and bacon and cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent and just beginning to turn slightly brown.
• Next, add in the roasted peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir to combine and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes covered and then check to see how much liquid the vegetables have released. The mixture should be almost completely covered in liquid, so if this is not the case at this point add in water to ensure there is enough liquid in the skillet.
• Cover the skillet and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally for 35-40 minutes or until the meat is very tender.
• Remove from heat and serve hot. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

• If you don’t eat pork, use beef instead of pork and a smoked beef product instead of bacon (sausage, suvo meso, etc).