But what makes it festive anyway?
I remember that each harvest and each successful cattle sale was celebrated with a festive lunch gathering the whole family. One of those "festive days" was the pig slaughter day. This dish had the main place at the dinner table on this day and that is why I called this recipe a Festive Pork.
For as long as I can remember, this pig slaughter was taking place in late autumn or early winter and was a real festival for the closest family. I still don't understand why this day was given such a great significance, but as a matter of fact, it did have it. :)
As I already mentioned, this dish was regularly prepared on that day. Some people would do the butchery and prepare the meat for storing and further use, while others would cook this dish in large quantities. Then, the whole family would have a lunch, together with the butchers and some neighbors that would have payed a visit "accidentally". :)
I have never been a meat lover, but the enjoyable intoxicating smell of fried pork was simply dragging me into the kitchen, luring me into trying it out, and eventually into eating it! Even today, when my grandparents are gone and this tradition as well, I recall this day whenever I feel the smell of fried pork.
Today, I made this Festive Pork in notably smaller quantity, but it was enough to bring me back to my childhood... Hope you'll like it too! :)
This are the ingredients you'll need:
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1. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces. Dice leeks and peppers, but do not make the pieces too tiny. It should look something like this:
4. Add meat back to the pan and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, so that all flavors mix up.
Notes:
- Instead of fresh peppers, you can add same quantity of pickled ones. In this case, you won't need any side dish or salad, just bread. And maybe some good mulled brandy... :)
- When preparing bigger quantities, as the tradition states, it's not really practical to take out all that meat and then put it back into the pan. It would be more workable if you sauté the leeks and the peppers into a separate pan and then add it to the meat when it's almost done. In this way you'll be sure the meat is fully cooked. You can also add the leeks into the meat when it's half done, then add peppers after a few minutes and cook them all together until everything is done. Choose the way you find the easiest for you! :)
Enjoy and bon appétit!
p.s. It's the best when you forget about forks and just dip the bread in. ;)