Ingredients
Meat
- 700 gpork neck or shoulder, in 3 cm cubes
- 2 tbsplard or oil
Vegetables
- 400 gmushrooms, quartered
- 2onions, sliced
- 3 clovesgarlic
- 1red pepper, sliced
- 2tomatoes, chopped
Seasoning
- 1 tbspsweet paprika
- 1 tsphot paprika
- 1bay leaf
- 1 tspdried oregano
- salt and black pepper
- 200 mlwhite wine
- 300 mlstock
To finish
- 200 gkashkaval or yellow cheese, grated
- 2 tbspchopped parsley
Equipment
- individual clay pots, or one earthenware dish
To serve
- bread
- a shopska salad
- rakija
Directions
- Cut the pork into generous cubes and pat them completely dry. Dry meat browns; wet meat steams grey, and that browning is the base of the whole flavour.
- Heat the lard in a heavy pan until it is properly hot. Brown the pork hard in batches, and do not crowd the pan. Take it right to a deep brown crust rather than a pale colour, and give it the time that takes.
- Set the browned meat aside on a plate. Now fry the onions in the same pan until soft and golden, scraping up the residue. Add the garlic and pepper and cook 3 minutes. Turn the heat up and add the mushrooms in a single layer. Let them sit and colour before you stir.
- Cook them until their water has gone and they have taken colour. Now take the pan off the heat before adding the paprika. Stir the paprika through, then return the meat and add the tomatoes, bay, oregano, wine and stock.
- Season it well and bring it to a simmer. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up rather than covering everything. Cover and bake at 180°C (355°F) for about an hour. Put clay pots into a cold oven and let them come up with it, for the reason given above. It is done when the pork is completely tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Return it, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned in patches. That browned cheese crust is the signature of the dish and it should be properly coloured rather than merely melted.
- Scatter parsley over and serve it straight from the pot. Warn people that the pots are extremely hot and stay hot for a long time. Serve it with bread to mop the sauce and a shopska salad alongside, which is the standard order.
Technique
- Kashkaval is the regional yellow cheese and it melts well without going oily.
- Chicken is sometimes used in place of pork.
- It is served in the clay pot on a wooden board in restaurants.
Substitutions
- A small casserole or ovenproof dish in place of clay pots.
- Any firm yellow melting cheese for kashkaval.
Variations
- With an egg cracked on top under the cheese.
- Made with chicken.
- With cream stirred in before the cheese.
History
Village meat: pork and mushrooms baked in a clay pot under melted cheese, a restaurant standard across the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is Selsko meso?
Selsko meso is a main from North Macedonia: village-style pork and mushrooms stewed in clay pot. Village meat: pork and mushrooms baked in a clay pot under melted cheese, a restaurant standard across the country.
How long does Selsko meso take to make?
Selsko meso takes 25 min of preparation and 1 hr 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Selsko meso?
Yes, within limits. A small casserole or ovenproof dish in place of clay pots. Any firm yellow melting cheese for kashkaval.
What is the most important thing to get right in Selsko meso?
Cut the pork into generous cubes and pat them completely dry. Dry meat browns; wet meat steams grey, and that browning is the base of the whole flavour.
