[abefroman]

Hungarian bacon, how do I eat/cook this?

Is a recetangle about 3 inchec wide, 4 inches long and 1/2 inch thick.

Its got a layer of smoke pork on top then a layer of fat? a layer of Canadian Bacon type pork, and a thicker later of fat?

Its really hard to cut/chew through, im not sure if its cook already of what.

Has anyone seen this before? What are you suppose to do with it?

It looks like these:
http://www.foodsubs.com/Photos/gypsybacon.jpg
http://www.erniesdeli.com/ECDImages/...svarybacon.gif

[OzarkRose]

Do you think its like a piece of salt pork meant to be cut into cubes and put in another dish, like "lardons"?

[Greg]

If you look at the bottom layer, it's the rind (the actual skin of the pig). If you cut that off, you might have more luck eating it like traditional American bacon, but I would use it as Rose mentions above.

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by Rose Konold

Do you think its like a piece of salt pork meant to be cut into cubes and put in another dish, like "lardons"?

Yes, what kind of dishes could I put it in?

[OzarkRose]

Beans! But seriously, you can use it to flavor reduction-type sauces or add it to meat based stuffings. Be carefull of the salt content though.

[JvK]

Ok,
I guess I'm the only magayar (hungarian for hungarian) reading this list.

What you have is what has been Americanized and has replaced real hungarian "SZALONNÁK" or Szalona.

However, your item has meat and is NOT the REAL Szalona of old. Real Szalona has no meat, it is smoked a special way and is more like "Speck" also known as "Greasy Bread" but is smoked/seasoned differently with lots of paprika. Szalona has NO PAPRIKA and that process is what I need to know and am seeking before it becomes lost forever.

The meat kind is usually sliced and fried, or cubed, thick sliced & put into beans, etc for a bacon flavoring or a bacon smoke flavor.

Some speck is sliced very thin, placed on bread and melted - the hide (skin) is removed.

The hungarian szalona was a "peasants meal". The discards of the rich because it was just fat. That fat by peasants would be cut into slabs 2 x 3 inches or so and placed on a skewer running just under the hide or skin the fat side would be cross cut about 15mm deep into 10mm squares.

The fat would then be roasted over an open fire until dripping and then pressed against salted rye bread - the bread could also have onions etc. The real great part is when the fat catches fire and is extinguished on the bread toasting everything on the bread - the chared bits of fat are cut off and placed onto the bread and also eaten. The slab is cut again and your good to go for more until nothing is left but the hide itself.

This is making me hungry..... Oh, obviously it is NOT diet or healthy food but excellent eating.

JvK

[filiadei]

When we prepare szalona, we score the fatty side and roast it over hot coals until it starts to drip. When it drips, we dab it on rye bread. Serve with sliced cucumber or sliced red onion, or a mixture of diced onion, tomato, and green pepper. When the szalona starts to get crispy, simply slice off the crispy bits like cracklin's and serve them on the bread, too.

It's basically melted bacon grease on bread with veggies. We've also had it with grilled Hungarian sausage.

A family tradition!

[Pete]

My father-in-law's family escaped from Hungary, when he was 12, just as the Tanks started rolling in and they started closing the borders. He purchases most of his sausages and bacon from a company in the Chicago area called "Bende." The bacon that he buys there, called Kolozsvari Szalonna, is excellent, though it sounds more like "American" bacon than what some of you have described. He likes to eat uncooked, sliced very thin and presented on a platter with various other Hungarian style sausages and salamis. I also like it this way, almost better than cooked, as it is a very salty product and cooking it just accents that saltiness in the same why that overcooking proscuitto makes it too salty.

[chiffonade]

Originally Posted by JvK

Ok,
I guess I'm the only magayar (hungarian for hungarian) reading this list.
JvK

Hi - I came upon this discussion through a google search for "hungarian smoked pork rinds." Years ago, my friend was married to a hungarian man and we used to walk to a butcher in upper Manhattan. We'd get these greasy treats that reminded me a lot of a more tender pork rind. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the butcher or the name of the treat. I don't think it's what the original poster has pictured but I could be wrong. We'd eat them right out of the bag (when calories and cholesterol didn't matter ).

If you know the name of the meat or the name of the butcher, I'd appreciate your sharing it with me...Thanks.