Leskovac Grilled-Meat Stew (Mućkalica)
Лесковачка мућкалица Leskovačka mućkalicaSay it: mooch-KAH-lee-tsah
Mućkalica comes from Leskovac, a southern Serbian city known for its grill culture. What reaches the table is a thick, glossy stew of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions and paprika, with cubed grilled pork or mixed grill meat at its center. The flavor is sweet from the peppers, tangy from the tomatoes and gently hot from ljutenica or chili, while the meat stays tender because the pot is shaken, not stirred. It is a practical way to turn a grill session—or its leftovers—into a main course, and it is best served hot with warm bread.
Leskovac Grilled-Meat Stew (Mućkalica)
Лесковачка мућкалица, Leskovačka mućkalica
Pronounced mooch-KAH-lee-tsah
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 40 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Method
When using raw pork, sprinkle the neck with salt and pepper. Char it over high heat or in a dry cast-iron pan, turning as needed, until the outside is deeply browned and the meat is just cooked, roughly 8–10 minutes per side depending on thickness. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch cubes. If the meat is already grilled, just cube it and keep it ready.
For peppers that still need roasting, blacken the skins over a flame, under a broiler or on a hot grill. Move them to a bowl, cover, and leave for 10 minutes; then slip off the skins, remove the seeds and pull the flesh into broad strips.
Warm the oil in a broad, heavy pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions with a little water and cook, turning them regularly, until they are completely soft, deep golden and jammy, 15–20 minutes; add more water in small splashes if they start to catch.
Put the tomatoes in with the onions. Cook them, now and then moving them around the pot, until they collapse and their juices have reduced by roughly half, about 10 minutes.
Fold in the pepper strips, sweet paprika, ljutenica or hot chili, garlic, salt, black pepper and bay leaves, if using. Let the mixture bubble gently for 5 minutes so the peppers take on the surrounding juices.
Add the cubed meat and hot water or stock. Give it one stir to mix, then reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered without much movement, shaking the pot from time to time instead of stirring, until the sauce is thick and glossy, 20–30 minutes.
If you like, tip the stew into a clay or ovenproof dish and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes, until it bubbles around the rim. Take out the bay leaves, scatter over the parsley and serve.
Regional variant: Leftover mixed-grill mućkalica (mućkalica od roštiljskog mesa)
This is the classic use for what remains from a Leskovac grill feast. Use about 1 1/2 lb (700 g) mixed leftover grilled meats—ćevapi, pljeskavica, vešalica or ražnjići—cut into bite-size pieces in place of the pork neck. Omit the first grilling step, add the meat once the peppers and tomatoes have softened, and keep the same gentle simmer so the meat gives its juices to the sauce.
Cook's notes
- Ready-roasted peppers cut down the prep; when roasting your own, blacken them thoroughly and let them steam so the skins come away cleanly.
- After the meat goes in, shake the pot instead of stirring; the pieces stay whole, which is the point behind the dish's name.
- A final bake in a clay pot, just until the edges bubble, gives the stew a deeper flavor.
Serve with
Serve with warm lepinja or crusty country bread alongside a plain tomato-and-onion salad.
Make ahead and storage
Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat slowly, adding a little water; the flavor improves after a night in the fridge.
