Hearty Öreglebbencs with Pork Shoulder | Rich Shepherd's One-Pot Meal

Rinse the pork shoulder, pat it dry, and cut it into small, bite-sized (approx. 1.5–2 cm) cubes. Finely dice the smoked bacon. Finely chop the yellow onion, and crush or grate the garlic. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes the same size as the meat. Core and dice the wax pepper, and chop the tomato into small pieces as well.

In a deep, heavy-bottomed cast iron pot or Dutch oven, render the fat from the diced smoked bacon over medium heat. If necessary, add a spoonful of lard, then fry the bacon until nicely crisp and golden-brown. Remove the bacon cracklings with a slotted spoon into a small bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Add the dry pasta (lebbencs pasta) to the remaining hot bacon fat and toast it, stirring constantly, until golden and blistered. Keep a close eye on it, as it browns quickly and can easily burn. Once it reaches a golden-yellow shade, remove the pasta to a separate plate.