Pork Kavarma with Shopska Salad

Most of our European nights so far have been chicken, and this is a chance to cook pork shoulder properly, with time. I am curious how much work paprika does when it is the main spice rather than a background one, and about the Balkan combination of hot stew and cold, sharp salad on the same plate. It fits a weeknight because the stew looks after itself once it is simmering; the active cooking is about 20 minutes, and the salad takes ten while the pot bubbles. Bulgaria is also a country my son knows nothing about, so we will find it on the map between Greece and Romania while dinner cooks.

• Pork shoulder (Boston butt): It has enough fat to stay juicy through a long simmer. Boneless country-style ribs are the same cut sold in strips.
• Sweet paprika: This is the dominant flavor, so use a fresh jar. Hungarian sweet paprika from the spice aisle is right; smoked paprika will change the dish, so avoid it. A pinch of hot paprika or cayenne is optional for the adult bowls.
• Sirene (Bulgarian white cheese): Brined sheep's or cow's milk cheese, crumbly and salty. Bulgarian or Greek feta from the deli counter is the standard substitute; look for a block in brine rather than pre-crumbled.
• Chubritsa (summer savory): The Bulgarian herb for stews. Dried savory is sometimes in the spice aisle; if not, use a half-and-half mix of dried thyme and oregano.

1. Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes, pat dry, and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Dice the onions. Cut the red peppers into 1/2-inch strips. Quarter the mushrooms. Mince the garlic. Dice one tomato for the stew.
3. For the salad, chop the remaining tomatoes and the cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces, dice the green pepper and red onion, and chop a handful of parsley. Keep everything in a bowl in the fridge, undressed, until serving.
4. Measure the paprika, savory and tomato paste next to the stove so they go in quickly without scorching.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Brown the pork in two batches, 3–4 minutes per batch, until well colored on at least two sides. Move to a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the onions with a pinch of salt; cook 6–8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid.
3. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, paprika and savory and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly; paprika burns easily, so keep it moving.
4. Add the wine, scrape up the browned bits, then add the diced tomato, the pork and its juices, and 1 cup water. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the meat. Bring to a simmer.
5. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat the vegetables. If it is thin, simmer uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
6. Optional egg finish: make three shallow dips in the stew, crack an egg into each, cover and cook 4–5 minutes until the whites set. This mimics the clay-pot gyuveche presentation.
7. Taste and adjust salt. Add a pinch of hot paprika to the adult portions if you want warmth.
8. Dress the salad: toss the vegetables with the vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper, then pile it in a mound and grate the feta over the top with a box grater so it falls like snow. Scatter parsley.

Ladle the kavarma into warm bowls, egg on top if you made them, and set the shopska salad and bread in the middle of the table. My son's bowl stays as written (sweet paprika is gentle); hot paprika goes only on the adult bowls. Leftover stew is better on day two; refrigerate up to three days and reheat gently with a splash of water. Dress only the salad you will eat.