Wallachian Contrabass

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Sort the buckwheat, rinse it in a sieve, pour it into a small saucepan, and cover with 500 ml of boiling water. Add half a teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, and simmer gently for 5 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the buckwheat from the heat, do not uncover, and let it stand for 20 minutes. During this time, it should soften, increase in volume, and absorb all the water. Gradually fry the meat, onion, and garlic in a pan.
• 2
  While the buckwheat is stewing, cut the smoked meat into cubes, chop the garlic finely, and the onion coarsely. First, throw the meat into the pan, add a tablespoon of water, and heat over medium heat until the meat releases its own fat. If you use lean meat, almost without fat, you will need to add a tablespoon of lard. Then increase the heat and briefly fry the meat until it is golden in places. Then add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat again, and let them soften and become translucent, stirring occasionally.
• 3
  While the buckwheat is softening, preheat the oven to 200 degrees and peel the carrots and potatoes. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized cubes and the carrots into 3-4 sticks. Cook both together in salted water until soft, about 10 minutes.
• 4
  Remove the cooked carrots and cut them into cubes, add them to the smoked meat. Drain the potatoes and mash them coarsely. Mix the stewed buckwheat, the smoked meat mixture, and the mashed potatoes together, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle with crumbled bryndza or grated cheese, place in the hot oven, and bake for 20 minutes until golden.
• 5
  Serve with sauerkraut or pickles, and sprinkle with herbs.