Recipe

Тушеная Картошка (Tushenaya Kartoshka)
Submitted by Jim Kemter on Oct 08, 2024

Slovic braised potatoes. This recipe uses pork or chicken.

Servings:
6

Complexity:   
Medium

Total Time:
1hr 15min

Ingredients:
2-3Tbsp Olive oil for sauteing
2lbs pork shoulder, cut into 3/4 – 1 inch cubes (boneless, skinless chicken thighs can also be used)
3 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
2Tbsp freeze dried celery, or 2 fresh sticks finely diced
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2lbs Gold potatoes, cut into 1 – 2 inch inch cubes
2 dry bay leaves
2Tbsp fresh herbs, (we use chives, parsley, and thyme)
2½ water (We like to use vegetable broth)
More fresh herbs for garnish

Directions:
Dry the meat on both sides and season with salt and pepper.

Heat about 1Tbsp of oil in a medium pot and cook the meat on high heat until brown on both sides.

Cook the meat in batches, so that there is room around each piece of meat. If you dump it all in, the meat will steam instead of getting a sear.

Cook on high and don’t touch the meat until it releases by itself. Set the meat aside, add another Tbsp of oil in the same pot, (without washing it) and add onions, cooking on medium heat until tender.

Remove any excess grease, leaving only about 1Tbsp. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook another 3 minutes until the onions soften, scraping the bottom of the pot/skillet to release the brown bits.

Add the carrots and garlic, cooking for another 3 minutes or so until fragrant. Return the meat to the pot with the veggies and mix to combine. Season with herbs to taste.

Meanwhile, cut the potatoes and add them to the pot. Do not mix them in.

Pour in the water, so it’s barely covering the potatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25-30 minutes, just until potatoes are cooked through. (I like to cook it low and slow all day until everything falls apart!)

Before serving, remove the bay leaves, and stir gently mixing the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Cook's Notes:
Food is such a universal language and I never realized that certain smells coming from the kitchen can evoke such emotion! I came home from work one day, and the familiar smells of my childhood wafted my way. My wife was making this dish, and it brought back so many memories of my mom's cooking and our slavic heritage.