Brassói Aprópecsenye – Hungarian Pork and Potatoes

Brassói Aprópecsenye is a popular Hungarian dish of pork fillet with sautéd potatoes and TV paprika. No-one is 100% sure where the recipe came from originally. There are many theories. Some believe it was it invented on a train from Budapest to Brassó. But others are certain it originally from Brassó, Romania itself?

Of course, we will never know. But as it is just pork fillet and potatoes with some very typical Hungarian flavourings, it’s hard for anyone to stake a really credible claim.

Nevertheless, it’s a great tasting dish that’s very quick and easy to cook. So much so that it was the first recipe in our Zoom based Hungarian Cooking Class during the Covid lockdown and it remains a firm favourite.

You should always serve this Brassói Aprópecsenye recipe with some kind of pickled gherkins. But I prefer to serve it with Hungarian Cucumber Salad.

🇭🇺 Jó étvágyat!

Also Read

Looking for more classic Hungarian dishes? Check out these posts:

• Hungarian Chicken Noodle Soup – a delicious soup for any time of the year.
• Töltött Paprika – Hungarian stuffed peppers.
• Cold Sour Cherry Soup (Hidel Meggyleves) – a refreshing Hungarian cold fruit soup
• Hungarian Food – the Ultimate Guide

Or take a look at my full collection of Hungarian recipes for more Hungarian flavours.

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Brassói Apropecsenye

Braised pork in a Hungarian sweet paprika sauce with sautéed potatoes.

Equipment

• Chef Knife
• Chopping Board
• Cast Iron Pan
• Frying Pan

Ingredients

• 1 kg potatoes (peeled and diced into 1.5 cm dice)
• salt
• 2 tbsp Zsíir (Hungarian pork lard) or pork dripping
• 2 medium onions (finely chopped)
• 500 grams pork fillet (fillet, leg, shoulder, or just diced pork diced into small cubes, if possible left to dry for 30 minutes)
• 1 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
• 2 TV Paprika (or green bell peppers)
• fresh parsley (finely chopped)

Instructions 

Potatoes

• Melt 1 tbsp zsír or pork dripping in a heavy based sauté pan.
• Add the diced potatoes and sprinkle with salt and sauté until they have achieved a crispy golden brown texture.
• Set aside to a warm place.

Pork Stew

• Melt 1 tbsp zsír or pork dripping in a frying pan and sauté the onions for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
• Add the diced pork fillet and stir fry until the meat has browned.
• Sprinkle the sweet paprika over the meat and stir well to combine, then add the garlic and sauté for a minute.
• Add tomatoes and TV paprika and continue to sauté until the the TV paprika is soft and the meat is tender.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley and serve on a bed of sautéed potatoes.