Becar Paprikas – Serbian Pork Stew

It is a cold and windy day, overnight we got some snow. We are not going out today, instead will do some chores around the home. Time to cook something good and warm up our spirits. I would say perfect time for a stew. Nothing like a hearty stew on a cold winter day.

Becar Paprikas or Serbian Pork Stew is a traditional dish that is fairly simple to make. As a general rule, the recipe calls for equal amounts of onions, bell peppers and tomatoes as key ingredients. Beyond that anything from eggs to chicken and pork can be added to the mix to sway it in different direction. Eggs make a lighter version and are customarily enjoyed during summer months. I wrote about it in an earlier blog post.

Today I opted for a meat version that will make it little bit more filling and more winter like. The dish is cooked slow at low heat to the point that the vegetables melt together. The meat becomes tender and falls apart, the way stew should be. I also added some chili seasoning that I had left over from Chilly Con Carne. That really spiced it up to my liking.

Serve warm over a bed of mashed potatoes or rice.

Print Recipe

Becar Paprikas - Serbian Pork Stew

A savory winter stew!

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Balkan, Serbian

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

2 hrs

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 50 g bacon diced
• 750 g pork tenderloin or other lean pork cut, cubed
• 2 tbsp chili seasoning
• 500 g onions sliced
• 500 g tomatoes canned or fresh
• 500 g bell pepper cross sliced
• sea salt to taste

Course Main Dish Cuisine Balkan, Serbian Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 2 hrs Servings servings Ingredients 50 g bacon diced 750 g pork tenderloin or other lean pork cut, cubed 2 tbsp chili seasoning 500 g onions sliced 500 g tomatoes canned or fresh 500 g bell pepper cross sliced sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Cut meat in 2.5-3 cm (1") cubes, season with 1 tbsp of chili seasoning and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Add diced bacon to a cold, large pan. Cook over medium heat (4 out of 10) for 3-5 minutes until bacon is rendered and enough fat covers the bottom of the pan. If the bacon you used was lean, add some vegetable oil.
3. Increase the heat to medium high (7 out of 10) and brown the cubed meat for couple of minutes. It is not a deep browning, just enough to remove the pink color from the meat.
4. Add onions and pepper, stir and as moisture is released, scrape the fond from the bottom of the pan. Add cut or crushed tomatoes (if canned tomatoes used) and stir altogether. Reduce the heat to low (2 out of 10) and cook covered for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Stirring every 10-15 minutes, continue to cook for about 1.5 hours.
6. Add 1 tbsp of chili seasoning, stir, and taste to see if a salt adjustment is required.

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