O Mangalica!

This post has been a really long time coming. But, better late than never. Last winter I had the privilege to attend the annual Mangalica festival in Budapest. Mangalica (or Mangalitsa as it is pronounced in English) is an heirloom breed of pig that is native to Hungary and a crucial part of the Hungarian cuisine. They are also referred to as Wooly Pigs because of their thick coat of curly hair.


Some live Mangalica relaxing at the Mangalica Fesztival in Budapest

Due to the high maintenance required for raising these pigs, breeding of Mangalica was discouraged under communism, causing them to nearly die out. But over the last few decades, a renewed interest in these heritage hogs has increased the population once again. Importation to countries like Spain has also helped their survival. The popularity of the Mangalica breed has experienced a renaissance recently, as foodies in the states and elsewhere have discovered the delectable, marbled meat of this creature. Mangalica meat has an extremely high fat content, making it more juicy and flavorful than your average piece of pork. It is hard to find, and even harder to afford Mangalica in the States, but in Hungary it is everywhere, and I had the opportunity to enjoy it in many different ways.


Mangalica pieces cooking at the festival

This breed has become such a hot item for food lovers that the New York Times even had an article on them recently. Link here. They may be rare and expensive, but if you have the chance to try this succulent pork, I strongly suggest you do.

After tasting grilled Mangalica steak, petting the live hogs, and nibbling on a multitude of cured Mangalica sausages, I walked away from the festival with some sausage of my own. I paired it with a simple tomato cream sauce over pasta so as not to distract from the meat's luscious flavor. But consider yourself warned: this meat is so rich that a little bit goes a VERY long way.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce and Mangalica Sausage

1 box pasta
1 1/3 cups cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Mangalica sausage (sliced)
Parmesean chesse (grated)

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add cream and simmer for a few minutes. Add chicken stock and tomato paste. Simmer for several minutes to let flavor develop. In a separate pan cook sausages without any oil, as they will release lots of fat. Add sausages and fat to sauce. Flavor with salt and pepper and let everything simmer together for a few minutes. Cook pasta al dente. Mix sauce with pasta and top with grated cheese and parsley. Egészségedre!

Pasta in Mushroom Cream Sauce

Mushrooms are one of my favorite ingredients. The word 'mushroom' refers to the fleshy, fruiting body of many varieties of fungi. Personally, I have never met a fleshy, fruiting fungus body I didn't like.

I first fell in love with mushrooms during the many years when I was a vegetarian. The savory qualities of mushrooms give them an almost meaty flavor, and make them an ideal substitute for animal flesh in a dish.

Mushroom cream sauce is a dish that the Italians have perfected using the highly prized porcini. One day I hope to master this dish, but for now, I am using the humble white button mushroom. Fancy mushroom species aside, this pasta and sauce combo is still delish and definitely worth a try.

1 box pasta
20 large white mushrooms (sliced)
1 onion (chopped)
2 large cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/3 cups cream
1/2 cup chicken stock (or water with bouillon)
Olive oil
Salt
Parsley
Milk (as needed)



Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add sliced mushrooms, some salt, and parsley and saute over medium heat until the mushrooms are soft. The mushrooms will release a lot of juices so there should be a nice pool of brown fluids in the pan. (At this point I'm pretty sure an Italian chef would add some white wine to the mix, let the alcohol cook off for a bit and then proceed as follows, but I am a little too poor to cook with wine at the moment, and I think this dish is fine without it). Add the cream and let everything simmer together. Add the chicken stock (or water with bouillon) and again let everything simmer. Add salt and parsley to taste. If the sauce becomes too thick, add some milk (or water) to thin it out, but then be sure to adjust the salt and chicken stock amounts to maintain a good flavor balance.

Prepare the pasta al dente and toss it with the sauce. Top with freshly ground black pepper and grated parmigiana or grana.

Buon appetito!