Pork loin, wild mushrooms, sweet paprika, and an onion base come together to create a hearty meal with a rich aroma and pleasantly thick sauce. First, the meat is seared in lard and then slowly braised to become tender and absorb the flavors of the spices, caraway, and mushrooms.
This recipe is also practical thanks to thickening with grated potato, so you don’t need flour or a roux. The mushrooms are added in two stages: the first batch is braised with the meat, while the second is stirred in later. The finished pork is served with potato dumplings, which pair perfectly with the fragrant sauce.
What You’ll Need
For the Meat and Mushroom Sauce:
- pork loin sliced into cutlets,
- french fries seasoning,
- ground pepper,
- lard,
- onion,
- caraway seeds,
- ground sweet paprika,
- water for braising,
- fresh wild mushrooms,
- potato for thickening,
- salt to taste.
For Serving:
- potato dumplings.
The original recipe does not specify exact amounts, so adjust the quantities to the number of servings and the desired amount of sauce.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the Meat: Thoroughly coat the pork loin slices with french fries seasoning. If the seasoning mix already contains salt, do not add extra salt at this stage. Just lightly pepper the cutlets.
2. Searing the Cutlets: Heat lard in a pot or deep pan. Sear the prepared pork cutlets on both sides until browned. Remove the meat and set aside temporarily.
3. Onion Base: Add chopped onion and caraway seeds to the drippings left from the meat. Sauté together until the onion softens, takes on color, and absorbs the flavor left at the bottom of the pot from browning the meat.
4. Adding Paprika: Sprinkle the sautéed onion with ground sweet paprika and briefly stir. Do not let the paprika sit in the drippings too long to avoid burning and a bitter taste in the finished sauce.
5. Braising the Meat with Mushrooms: Return the seared pork cutlets to the onion base and add water. Clean and chop the wild mushrooms, adding a portion to the meat. Braise until the meat is almost tender.
6. Thickening the Sauce: Once the meat is nearly done, add the remaining chopped mushrooms. Peel and grate the potato, then stir it into the sauce. As the dish continues to cook, the potato will naturally thicken the liquid and bind it with the onion base.
7. Finishing the Dish: Let everything cook together thoroughly until the pork is completely tender and the grated potato has cooked through in the sauce. Taste and adjust the salt as needed, considering the saltiness of the seasoning used.
8. Serving: Divide the tender pork slices onto plates, pour over the paprika and wild mushroom sauce, and serve with potato dumplings. The dumplings soak up the thick sauce and complement the hearty character of the whole meal.
Why Add Mushrooms in Two Stages
The first batch of mushrooms is braised longer with the meat, giving the sauce a strong forest aroma and flavor. The second batch is added when the meat is almost tender, so not all mushroom pieces are exposed to the same length of braising.
Before adding to the pot, carefully clean and chop the mushrooms. Adjust the size of the pieces depending on how prominent you want them in the finished sauce.
How Potato Thickening Works
Grated raw potato releases starch during cooking, which naturally thickens the sauce. After adding the potato, be sure to cook the dish long enough so the potato softens completely and doesn’t remain raw or stand out in flavor.
The original recipe does not specify the amount of potato. Adjust it according to the amount of liquid and the desired consistency, and always let the potato cook thoroughly before considering further thickening.
What to Watch Out for When Using Paprika
Add ground sweet paprika only to the finished onion base and stir briefly. Then immediately return the meat and pour in water. This reduces the risk of burning the paprika, which would spoil the flavor of the entire mushroom sauce.
