Bácska-style Rice with Beans and Sausage | Hearty Hungarian One-Pot Dish

Cut the smoked bacon into small cubes of about half a centimetre, and slice the smoked sausage into 4-5 mm thick rounds. Peel and finely dice the onion. Crush or finely chop the garlic cloves. Wash the Hungarian wax peppers, core them, and cut into smaller dice or thin strips. Dice the tomatoes. Pour the canned white beans into a colander, rinse thoroughly with cold water, then drain well. Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then drain.

In a large, deep skillet or heavy-bottomed pot, melt the lard and render the fat from the smoked bacon cubes over low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the sliced smoked sausage and fry for another 2-3 minutes until it nicely releases its spiced colour and aroma. Remove the sausage and bacon cracklings onto a plate, leaving the savoury rendered fat in the pot.

Add the finely chopped onion to the smoky fat remaining in the pan and sauté over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until translucent and golden. Then stir in the crushed garlic and diced Hungarian wax peppers, and fry together for another 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes as well and let them break down slightly to form a lecsó base.