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Belarusian mochanka with pancakes

Belarusian Mochanka with Pancakes

An incredibly tasty, hearty, and rustic dish straight out of Belarus! Mochanka (also spelled machanka, from the word meaning "to dip") is a thick, meaty gravy loaded with an assortment of pork — ribs, homemade sausage, salo (cured pork fatback), and smoked meats, with brisket being the best pick. You can dip just about anything into it, but most often it's pancakes — either thick yeasted or kefir pancakes, or thin milk crêpes. You'll still find this dish in ordinary Belarusian villages, and today I felt like making it too!

nasstin

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pork ribs

Homemade sausage (homemade and fried is a must)

500

Salo (cured pork fatback)

100

Pork brisket (smoked)

100

Onion

250

Sour cream

Wheat flour

Water (or broth)

0.5

Milk

0.5

Flour

Eggs

Sugar

Salt

0.5

Vegetable oil

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 29 % 10 g

Fats 57 % 20 g

Carbohydrates 14 % 5 g

235 kcal

GI: 33 / 0 / 67

Cooking method

Step 1:

The ingredients you'll need for the mochanka.
Step 2:

Cut the fresh salo (pork fatback) into cubes.
Step 3:

Fry it in a skillet until all the fat renders out and you're left with crispy cracklings.
Step 4:

Dice the smoked pork brisket.
Step 5:

Cut the pork ribs into individual pieces.
Step 6:

Coarsely chop the homemade sausage (I didn't have pork sausage on hand, so I used chicken).
Step 7:

Finely chop the onion.
Step 8:

Everything is prepped and ready to fry.
Step 9:

By the time everything was chopped, the salo had already turned into golden cracklings.
Step 10:

Scoop out the crispy cracklings — we'll use them later.
Step 11:

In the rendered fat, fry the smoked brisket for 1–2 minutes so it releases its flavor.
Step 12:

Then add the onion to the pan and fry for 3–4 minutes until soft.
Step 13:

Now add the pork ribs to the pan.
Step 14:

Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
Step 15:

Season the ribs with salt.
Step 16:

Add a few grinds of pepper.
Step 17:

Add the homemade sausage and simmer, covered, for another 15–20 minutes.
Step 18:

While the mochanka simmers, make the pancakes using your favorite recipe. I like thin crêpes, and for those you'll need the ingredients shown in the photo.
Step 19:

They come together very simply: crack in 3 eggs.
Step 20:

Add a pinch of salt.
Step 21:

Add the sugar.
Step 22:

Stir to combine.
Step 23:

Pour in about 100 ml (a scant 1/2 cup) of the milk and add all the flour.
Step 24:

Whisk well until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
Step 25:

Now add the rest of the milk a little at a time, bringing the batter to the right consistency. I like thin, delicate crêpes, so I keep the batter fairly thin.
Step 26:

At the very end, stir in the vegetable oil and mix well.
Step 27:

The crêpe batter is ready.
Step 28:

Back to the mochanka: stir 2 tablespoons of flour into 100 ml (a scant 1/2 cup) of water until smooth, then pour it into the pan.
Step 29:

Add about 200 ml (roughly 3/4 cup) of water or broth and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Step 30:

Now transfer the mochanka into individual clay pots (or oven-safe ramekins).
Step 31:

Add 1 tablespoon of sour cream to each pot and pour in enough water to reach about two-thirds up the sides, then bake in the oven.
Step 32:

While the pots are in the oven, cook the crêpes — grease the pan with a piece of salo, which is the best way to keep them from sticking.
Step 33:

Pour about two-thirds of a ladle of batter onto the hot pan and swirl to spread it evenly.
Step 34:

Wait 2–3 minutes, then flip.
Step 35:

Cook the second side for 1–2 minutes.
Step 36:

The crêpes come out thin and wonderfully tender.
Step 37:

By the time the crêpes were done, so was the mochanka! You can serve everyone their own pot, but honestly that's a lot — one small pot fed the four of us.
Step 38:

Dip a crêpe into the meaty gravy and dig in. Enjoy!