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Shovdar is a delicatessen meat product prepared in Transcarpathia. Like borscht, each household prepares its own, special shovdar. So there are many recipes.

Shovdar is an integral part of the Easter basket. This dish is quite difficult to prepare: you will need a lot of salt, a lot of time and your own smokehouse. Not surprisingly, it is prepared only for major holidays, such as Christmas. In Uzhhorod, even a monument in honor of this remarkable dish was erected.

Ingredients

  • pork ham — 1 piece;
  • nitrate — 1 gram per 1 kilogram of meat;
  • sugar — 1 gram per 1 kilogram of meat;
  • salt — a few kilograms;
  • spices (garlic, paprika, cumin, bay leaf, marjoram) — to taste.

The cooking process

  1. To make the shovdar tasty, you need to choose the right ham. Meat with a thin layer of lard and a well-fried skin is best.
  2. Rub the surface of the ham with a little nitrate and sugar, and then with a lot of salt. Make incisions near the joints and fill them with salt.
  3. If you like spicy shovdar, rub the meat with a mixture of spices.
  4. Place the ham with its skin side down in a tub or other deep container. Cover with plenty of salt. In this state, the dish should be left untouched for three weeks. During this time, the meat will release moisture, which forms brine. Periodically water the ham with this brine.
  5. Remove the ham, free it from excess salt and moisture. The workpiece must be placed in a smokehouse for 3 days. To make shovdar tasty, use firewood from beech, ash, hornbeam.
  6. The finished shovdar is stored in a cool, well-ventilated room.
  7. In the classic version, shovdar is tasted raw, cut into thin slices. However, it is also permissible to use boiled or fried shovdar.

Other dishes

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Area: South of Ukraine

Dolma

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Gutsul Varya (Beetrut salad)

Area: West of Ukraine