Raštan

Ingredients

Greens

• 1.5 kgcollard greens, or raštan

Smoked meat

• 400 gsmoked dried beef or pork, in one piece
• 200 gsmoked ribs
• 150 gsmoked bacon or pancetta, diced

Vegetables

• 600 gpotatoes, in large chunks
• 2onions, chopped
• 4garlic cloves, crushed

Base

• 3 tbsplard or oil
• 2 tbspplain flour
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 2bay leaves
• black pepper

To finish

• salt, only if needed
• 1 tbspvinegar, if wanted

To serve

• cornbread
• or crusty bread

Directions

1. Strip the leaves from the thick central stems. Keep the tender upper parts of the stems and chop them short. Wash the leaves in several changes of cold water. Chop them roughly into wide ribbons. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Drop the greens in for five minutes.
2. Drain them and press out some of the water. That takes the sharpest bitterness out of tough winter leaves. Soak the piece of dried meat in cold water for an hour if it is very salty. Taste a small piece to judge how salty it is. Cut the meat into large chunks. Put the diced bacon in a cold heavy pot with the lard.
3. Set the pot over a medium heat. Starting cold renders the fat without burning the pieces. Cook it for eight minutes until golden. Add the chopped onions and cook them for ten minutes.
4. Let them soften and turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the flour and cook the roux for two minutes. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the paprika. Adding paprika off the heat is what stops it turning bitter.
5. Return the pot to the heat again. Add the smoked meat and the ribs. Add the bay leaves and plenty of black pepper. Pour in water to cover the meat. Bring it to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer it gently for a full hour. The smoked meat should begin to give under a fork. Add the drained greens to the pot in handfuls.
6. Wait for each handful to wilt before adding the next. Add more hot water if the pot looks dry. Add the potato chunks after the greens have collapsed. Cut them large, since small pieces disintegrate. Simmer everything together for another forty-five minutes. Stir it occasionally so nothing catches. Judging when it is done is a matter of texture.
7. Taste it before adding any salt at all. It often needs none because of the smoked meat. Add plenty of black pepper as well. A spoonful of vinegar lifts it if it tastes heavy. Serve it in deep bowls with plenty of the liquid. Cut the meat into pieces and share it between the bowls.

Technique

• Soak very salty smoked meat before cooking, and taste before adding any salt at all.
• Strip the woody central stems from the greens, since they never soften.
• Add the paprika off the heat, or it turns bitter.

Substitutions

• Collard greens or kale in place of Montenegrin raštan.
• Smoked bacon and ribs if dried smoked meat is unavailable.

Variations

• Made with smoked ribs alone.
• Without meat, for fasting days.
• With beans added to the pot.

History

Montenegrin collard, grown in every village garden and stewed with smoked meat; it stands through the winter frosts.

Frequently asked questions

What is Raštan?

Raštan is a main from Montenegro: collard greens braised with smoked dried meat. Montenegrin collard, grown in every village garden and stewed with smoked meat; it stands through the winter frosts.

How long does Raštan take to make?

Raštan takes 25 min of preparation and 2 hours of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Raštan?

Yes, within limits. Collard greens or kale in place of Montenegrin raštan. Smoked bacon and ribs if dried smoked meat is unavailable.

What is the most important thing to get right in Raštan?

Strip the woody central stems from the greens, since they never soften.