Bitoque with egg and ghiveci, Romanian vegetable stew

Name: Bitoque with egg and ghiveci, Romanian vegetable stew
Ingredients: 2 large pork leg steaks (300 g); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 125 ml white wine; 1 tablespoon pork lard; 3 garlic cloves; 165 ml beer; 3 medium potatoes (600 g); 500 ml oil; 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion (200 g); 1 small green pepper (80 g); 1/2 red bell pepper (75 g); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 very ripe tomatoes (300 g); 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; 1000 ml water; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon oil; 2 eggs

Meat - Bitoque with egg and ghiveci, Romanian vegetable stew by Ludovica O. - Recipia

For lunch, Bitoque with egg and ghiveci, a Romanian vegetable stew, is served with fries and a fried egg on top of thin pork. I brought together Portuguese bitoque and the Romanian ghiveci I ate at my grandmother's when I was a child; the vegetables soften in a sauce bound with egg. I keep the potatoes separate from the ghiveci. Prep: 25 minutes. Cook: 55 minutes. Rest: 3 hours. Total: 260 minutes. Serves: 2. About 820 kcal and 43 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the meat

2 large pork leg steaks (300 g)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
125 ml white wine
1 tablespoon pork lard
3 garlic cloves
165 ml beer

For the potatoes

3 medium potatoes (600 g)
500 ml oil
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

For the ghiveci

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion (200 g)
1 small green pepper (80 g)
1/2 red bell pepper (75 g)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe tomatoes (300 g)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1000 ml water
1 egg

For the fried eggs

1 teaspoon oil
2 eggs

Preparation

1. Pat the pork slices dry with paper towels. Season them with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, then pour over 125 ml white wine. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. 2. Cut the potatoes into rounds. Fry them in 500 ml oil, in batches, for about 12 minutes, until golden. Transfer to paper towels and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. 3. Blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute in 1000 ml boiling water, until the skins split. Peel and slice them. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan and soften the onion over medium heat for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the sliced peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 12 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper and 1 egg, then stir for 2 minutes, until the egg sets. 4. Melt 1 tablespoon pork lard in a pan and brown the meat for 4 minutes on each side. Crush the garlic cloves with the blade of a knife and tuck them between the slices. Pour the marinade, with its 125 ml wine, into the pan and cook for 4 minutes, turning the meat now and then, until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add 165 ml beer and cook for another 3 minutes, until the sauce reduces. 5. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a clean pan. Fry the 2 eggs for 3 minutes, until the whites are set. Serve each pork slice with an egg on top, alongside the potatoes and ghiveci.

Notes

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; the potatoes lose some of their crispness, so I warm them separately in a pan. For an alcohol-free version, use 125 ml stock instead of the wine and 165 ml water instead of the beer; the eggs stay in the dish. I serve it with a simple green salad, without a heavy dressing. Thin, evenly cut pork leg browns quickly; thicker slices need extra time and can dry out before they cook through. If the tomatoes release a lot of juice, cook the ghiveci uncovered for a few more minutes, until it no longer looks watery. Like steak with egg and potatoes, the plate feels familiar, but the ghiveci brings it closer to home cooking.