Machanka recipe

A Belarusian pot of smoked pork in a sour cream gravy that is not eaten with a spoon but dipped into with yeast pancakes.

2 hours and 15 minutesmedium10 ingredients

Ingredients

• 200 g smoked pork ribs
• 400 g pork belly
• 200 g smoked sausage
• 1 onion
• 200 ml sour cream
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 yeast pancakes

How to make Machanka

1. Cut 400 g of pork belly and 200 g of smoked ribs into 3 cm pieces and slice 200 g of smoked sausage.
2. Render the pork belly in a dry heavy pot over medium heat for 10 minutes until browned, then add the ribs and sausage and brown 5 minutes more.
3. Add 1 chopped onion, cook 5 minutes, pour in 500 ml of water with 2 bay leaves, cover and simmer 1 hour 30 until the meat falls apart.
4. Toast 2 tablespoons of flour in a dry pan until it smells of bread, then whisk it with 200 ml of sour cream and a ladle of the hot broth.
5. Stir that mixture back into the pot, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and simmer uncovered 15 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon.
6. Keep the gravy loose: it must stay thin enough to dip into, never as thick as a stew.
7. Serve in a shared bowl with 8 warm yeast pancakes, torn and dipped by hand; machanka means to dip, and the pancakes are half the dish.

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