Vinen Kavarma/Kebap

I did a lot of hunting and gathering regarding this dish, which is touted as a very popular, classic Bulgarian meal. There are many versions of kavarma out there, and the same can be said of kebap. Truthfully, I'm not even sure what the difference is between them, as the names seem to be used interchangeably! The ingredients, however, are essentially the same.

In an effort to keep it healthy, I did change the way this dish is prepared. Pretty much every version I found of this recipe used about a half cup of oil. Rather than let the vegetables absorb seasoned oil, I essentially dry sautéed them, so they absorbed the actual seasonings instead. (Mom does this when she makes her rich, flavorful curry and it works every time!)

I made my kavarma/kebap as follows:

2-3 Tbsp oil
2 lbs cubed pork, dusted with flour, salt and cracked pepper
3 leeks, rinsed and sliced into halfmoons
1 onion, sliced into half-moons
1 cup baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
1 hot cherry pepper, seeded and minced
1-2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp paprika
1 cup wine
2 bay leaves
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, get the oil good and hot. Sear the pork (in batches, if necessary), remove from the pan and set aside. Sauté the leeks, carrots, onion and pepper in the remaining oil until slightly softened. Add the tomato paste and paprika, and allow the vegetables to absorb the seasonings for a couple minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any bits that stuck to the bottom. Return the pork to the pan, add the bay leaves and simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens and reduces, about 10-15 minutes.

Cook's Notes: I had sweet paprika in the cupboard but I just love the taste of smoked, so I opted for that instead. Also, we had an open bottle of red wine, but I also frequently saw white wine being used. Occasionally, some recipes called for more liquid, usually another cup or so of wine or broth, to really make this a wetter stew. Lastly, most recipes I found said that kavarma/kebap should be served with fried potatoes or French fries, but rice or egg noodles would work just as well. Cheers!