Bursting with flavour in the mouth, with incredible juiciness and the perfect texture - this is pulled pork tartare. Always have it in the fridge, use it, eat it anywhere, anytime.
No one disputes the perfection of pulled pork. It's so flavoursome and succulent that you might not be able to eat it every day, because it's so powerful. But you can't stop eating it, so it's good to keep some in your fridge or freezer for when you want it.
The ready pulled pork tarja is now available in a hermetically sealed bag, which you can take with you whenever you have a group of friends over, for Sunday lunch or even on a trip.
The story of “Matusz-Vados pulled pork”
We get together regularly with a number of friends for wine, beer, but mostly for food. We really like this adult board game because everyone gets to prove themselves a bit, get ready, get excited about each other, and at the end there's no scoreboard, just relaxation. Most of the time it's on a weekday, but around 11pm everyone takes their hats off as they have work the next day. Until then, everyone tries to put their best foot forward. The reason why it is important to have it on weekdays is to get you out of the hustle and bustle, but also to keep the preparations spontaneous, because nobody has time to prepare days in advance. That's where practical solutions and creativity come in. At the last meeting, we went and Isti and her family were waiting for us.
But where is the pulled pork?
The rush was on. When we got there, the baguettes were already baking, the vegetables were being sliced and the chilled beers were already on the table. It was time to serve, everyone got the crispy baguette on their plate, the vegetables in it, the chilli sauces around it, and Isti headed for the fridge. She took out a bag, cut it open and poured the contents into the hot pan. The pulled pork was ready, with lots and lots of gravy, which she piled hot on the baguettes and didn't even need any sauce or gravy. With lots of vegetables, cold beer, spring onions - it was simply the perfect party dish. At the end, we asked him how he made this meat in advance, but he said: “It's children's tarja, the Matusz-Vados pulled pork, that's what we always order.”
Perfect for the trip
I get very bored of a series of Parisian or fried meat sandwiches when travelling, and I like it even less when I have to stop at a petrol station for a quick sandwich or hot dog. However, newer and newer tricks come to mind to avoid these and have the perfect little picnic on the go. Of course, you will need the old Hungarian handbag, the cooler.
Lately, I've been slicing up less juicy vegetables for our longer trips and making oily dressings to go with them. Like roasted garlic salsa sauce with olive oil, lemon, parsley, with lots of carrots cut into wedges, cucumbers, celery stalks and then dunked into the sauce if we're snacking on something. For the bigger stops, though, it's good to have something substantial in the cooler, but you don't have to heat it up or make it very heavy. Pullod pork in airtight pouches has worked really well for us. I wrap it in a tortilla, add the veggies, some flat cheese and roll it up. 2 large tortilla batties each, and perfect for traveling well stocked.
Pulled pork is a slow-smoked pork shoulder or tray cooked in a smoker, a recipe originally from America. If you don't have special equipment, you can make it at home, but you'll need a cast iron pot. Slow-cooking for 3-4 hours will give you a perfectly tender, crumbly meat.#
