Bulgarian Pork Kapama

Roast pork and vegetables

Kapama in Bulgaria generally consists of a pot full of roasted mixed meats and often includes sauerkraut. When we found a kapama recipe that featured roasted bell peppers, we had to give it a try since we had been exploring the bounty of peppers in Bulgaria. In his homeschool studies, Cyrus was researching the history and spread of chilies from South America to the rest of the world. Like many other Bulgarian recipes, this one involves roasting in a sealed ceramic pot.

Bulgarian ceramic pots are not only functional, but are uniquely decorated and can be quite beautiful. The bright colors, swirls and dots remind me of ornately decorated birthday cakes. We purchased an assortment of pots and sent them back home to the states. When Angela’s mother, who received our package, described the state of the box upon arrival as looking like it had been “shot over the Atlantic in a cannon”, we feared for the worst. Sure enough, when we returned home and opened the box, we discovered that all but a few random lids and small bowls had been shattered beyond repair. Angela, being the DIY queen that she is, set about making a set of ceramic pots for roasting Bulgaria-style. Although these pots are unglazed, they are perfect for making traditional Bulgarian dishes, like pork kapama. Dutch ovens also do the trick.

Ingredients:

· 2 lb. pork, shoulder or other semi-tough cut

· 1½ T. salt

· ¾ c. water

· Sunflower oil

· 1 large onion, diced finely

· 2 carrots, peeled and diced finely

· 3 stalks celery, diced finely

· 1 T. chile powder (hot or mild)

· 3 tomatoes, diced

· 2 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded and diced

· 1 t. black pepper

· 1 T. chopped parsley

· 1-2 c. simmering hot pork or chicken stock

Directions:

1. Cut pork into 1½ in. chunks, removing much of the fat.

2. Add salt and water to a medium pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat.

3. Add the pork and cook until all of the water has evaporated, occasionally turning the meat. This may take as long as 20 minutes, since much of the moisture from the pork will need to evaporate as well.

4. Preheat the oven to 375° and add the stock to a separate sauce pan. Bring to a gentle boil and then simmer.

5. When the water has evaporated from the meat, add ¼ c. oil and continue cooking until browned on all sides. Remove the meat and add to a medium ceramic baking dish (if you have one that has a tight-fitting lid) or a Dutch oven.

6. Adding oil if necessary, brown the onions in the same pot used to cook the pork. Add to the baking dish.

7. Brown the carrots and celery, adding oil if necessary. Add to the baking dish.

8. After removing the carrots and celery, add oil, if necessary, to make sure there is enough to just cover the bottom of the pot. Add the chile powder, mixing with the oil, and cooking until fragrant (1-2 min.).

9. Add the tomatoes and bell peppers to the pot and cook until most of the liquid has been boiled off. Add to baking dish.

10. Add black pepper and parsley to the baking dish and mix to combine all ingredients. Add enough hot broth to just cover the ingredients in the baking dish. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the preheated oven.

11. Cook for at least 2½ hours, until the pork is fork-tender. Serve hot with fresh baked bread.