Machanka (Belarusian Pork Stew with Draniki)

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450g) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 lb (225g) smoked pork sausage, sliced into rounds
• 4 oz (115g) pork liver, trimmed and cubed (optional, traditional)
• 2 tbsp lard or neutral oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups (475ml) beef or pork stock
• 1 cup (240ml) sour cream
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 lb (900g) starchy potatoes, peeled, for the draniki
• 1 small onion, for the draniki
• 1 large egg, for the draniki
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, for the draniki
• Vegetable oil, for frying the draniki

Before you cook

• Cut the pork shoulder into rough 1-inch cubes and pat them dry
• Cube the pork liver if using and keep it separate from the shoulder meat
• Slice the smoked sausage into rounds about a half-inch thick
• Dice the stew onion and mince the garlic
• Grate the potatoes and the small onion together on the coarse side of a box grater into a bowl
• Squeeze the grated potato mixture hard in a clean kitchen towel to wring out as much liquid as possible
• Stir the egg, 3 tablespoons flour, salt and pepper into the wrung-out potato mixture until it forms a thick, sticky batter

Steps

1. Heat the lard in a heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers
2. Add the pork shoulder cubes in a single layer and brown them on all sides, about 8 minutes, then lift them onto a plate
3. Add the sliced sausage to the same pot and brown it for 2 to 3 minutes, then set it aside with the pork
4. Add the pork liver, if using, and sear it quickly for about 2 minutes, then set it aside too
5. Drop the diced onion into the fat left in the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden
6. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant
7. Sprinkle the flour and paprika over the onions and stir constantly for a minute
8. Pour in the stock gradually, stirring to work out any lumps
9. Return the browned pork, sausage and liver to the pot along with the bay leaves
10. Bring it to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low
11. Let it cook gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the pork shoulder is fork-tender
12. Pour a quarter-inch of oil into a large skillet and set it over medium-high heat
13. Once the oil shimmers, drop in a heaping spoonful of the potato batter and flatten it with the back of the spoon into a thin round
14. Fit as many more rounds into the pan as you can without them touching
15. Fry the draniki for about 3 minutes per side until deep golden brown and crisp at the edges
16. Lift the draniki onto a paper-towel-lined plate and keep frying the rest in batches, adding oil between batches
17. Once the stew has finished its hour, stir the sour cream into the pot and simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes without letting it boil hard
18. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the chopped dill
19. Taste the stew and adjust the salt and pepper
20. Serve the stew hot in bowls with a stack of warm draniki alongside for dipping