Selsko Meso (Macedonian Village-Style Pork with Mushrooms)
Local name: Селско месо
In short: Cubes of pork baked with mushrooms, peppers, onion and white wine in a clay dish until the meat is tender in a rich, paprika-red sauce. It takes about 2 h 10 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h 45 min
- Total
- 2 h 10 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 490 kcal
Selsko meso means village meat, and the name fits: this is a simple, generous baked stew of pork, mushrooms, peppers and onions that cooks in a single clay dish. The meat is browned first, then everything bakes slowly with paprika, white wine and a little tomato until the sauce is thick and deeply savory. Macedonian families serve it with bread and a tomato salad, and many restaurants offer it in a bubbling clay pot.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Pat the pork dry and season it with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pan over high heat and brown the pork in two batches, about 5 minutes per batch. Move it to a clay dish or casserole.
- In the same pan, cook the onions for 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes more, until their liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic, take the pan off the heat and stir in the paprika, then add the peppers.
- Pour in the wine, return the pan to the heat and boil for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits. Tip everything over the pork.
- Add the tomatoes, water, savory and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir. Cover and bake for 1 hour, then uncover and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the pork is very tender and the sauce is thick.
- Sprinkle with the parsley, rest for 10 minutes and serve with bread and a tomato salad.
Tips
- Brown the pork well before it goes into the dish. The color and the browned bits in the pan carry the flavor.
- Add the paprika off the heat. It turns bitter if it scorches.
Questions and answers
Can I make selsko meso ahead of time?
Yes. It tastes better the next day. Keep it in the fridge for 4 days and reheat covered at 170°C (340°F) for 25 minutes.
Can I use chicken instead of pork?
Yes. Use bone-in thighs, brown them and bake for about 45 minutes, until they reach 74°C (165°F).
What do you serve with selsko meso?
Crusty bread, a tomato and cucumber salad, and rice or boiled potatoes. Pickled peppers on the side are very common.
How long does it take to make Selsko Meso (Macedonian Village-Style Pork with Mushrooms)?
About 2 h 10 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h 45 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Selsko Meso (Macedonian Village-Style Pork with Mushrooms)?
About 490 kcal per serving, with 37 g of protein, 14 g of carbohydrates and 30 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 490 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 37 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Fat | 30 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Sodium | 900 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
