Azu is a dish originally from Tatarstan. At home, it is made from lamb or horse meat. Beef is often used, but pork is rare. But in other regions of Russia, where they also fell in love with this delicious second dish, pork is often taken for the basics. This meat is cheaper than beef and does not have a bright specific taste, like lamb.
Essential ingredients for the dish
The following ingredients are required for the preparation of pork basics: meat, potatoes, pickles, tomato paste. Usually, basil onions and fresh or slightly boiled garlic in the same broth are also put in basics. Tatars are accustomed to making the national dish spicy. The rest of the nations put pepper in the basics as desired. You can use black pepper, red or chili. In any case, this dish is special and not like the others.
Cooking features
How to cook basics of pork? Of course, the dish has its own cooking features. Pork aza is prepared a little longer, for example, Russian roast, the main component of which is also potato. Firstly, for the preparation of the Tatar dish more ingredients are needed, but each of them is most often present in any person’s refrigerator. Secondly, most of these ingredients must first be prepared separately from each other, fried or stewed. Then combine them in one large bowl (cauldron or pan) and cook with the addition of water. It is for this reason that the basics of pork are unforgettably delicious. The difference between a whip and a carefully prepared masterpiece is immediately noticeable.
Pork Azu with pickles "Favorite"
This is a recipe for classic azou, but from pork, not lamb. The pork aza turns out to be very tasty, you don’t even have to cut all the lard. After all, fried lard always gives a pleasant taste and nutritious fatness to lunch dishes.
Ingredients for pork basics with potatoes and pickles: 400 g of meat, 800 g of potatoes, 4 pickles (without vinegar), 2 onions, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, black pepper, bay leaf, 3 large slices of garlic, salt.
Cooking pork dishes:
- Fry the meat well in a pan. Pour 2.5 liters of water into the pan and start heating.
- Put the meat in boiling water, cook for 40 minutes.
- Cucumber chopped into small pieces, put in the meat.
- Fry small pieces of potatoes in a pan until half cooked and put in the broth for meat. Water should only cover the potatoes, the basics - this is the second dish. We pass the onion and also let it into the broth.
- When the dish is cooked for another 20 minutes, you need to put tomato paste and all the above spices in the basics. Add salt to taste, boil a couple more minutes.
Pork Azu in a slow cooker
The Tatar national dish is excellent in a slow cooker. Vegetables remain neatly sliced, do not boil, they retain a real fresh taste. The meat is soft and juicy.
How to cook basics of pork in a slow cooker? We describe all the details:
- 500 g of pork cut into elongated small pieces. Finely chop one carrot and onion.
- Put the slow cooker on the third level of the "Frying" mode. Set the time to 20 minutes. Pour in sunflower oil, wait until it warms up, and then put the meat on the bottom. Fry the pork, stirring, and then put onion and carrots, as well as garlic (3 slices) to the meat. Continue to fry all components.
- Chop pickled cucumbers (4 pcs.). Put the slow cooker into the "Extinguishing" mode for 1 hour. Put cucumbers to the preparing az, a tablespoon of tomato paste, salt, pepper, pour 200 ml of water. To mix everything. Close the lid of the device and leave the dish to cook for half an hour.
- Chop the potatoes (1 kg) in long strips and put in the basics. Add vegetable oil and 100 ml of water. Stir again and close the lid. In half an hour, the basics of pork will be ready.
Azu with bell pepper
How to cook basil pork with sweet pepper? Below is a good recipe.
Ingredients: 0.5 kg of pork, 7 potatoes, 3 pickles, onions, carrots, 1 sweet pepper, 2 tomatoes, sweet ground paprika, coriander to taste, bay leaf, pepper, sugar (half a teaspoon), salt.
Cooking:
- Pour in a large pan sunflower oil, fry pork chopped on it in small pieces.
- Pass the carrots through a grater. In another pan, pass the onions and carrots. Then put the bell peppers to the vegetables. Fry it all together. Cooking oil can be poured from a meat pan.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large pan. Grind tomatoes and cucumbers, put to meat. Add spices, salt and sugar, as well as a glass of water. Stir and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Chop the potatoes and fry them in a free pan until soft. Transfer it to the meat. Hold all the ingredients a little longer in boiling sauce.
How to decorate the basics when serving?
- Tatar dish goes well with fresh herbs. On plates with a dish, you can put leaves of parsley, dill or cilantro.
- Those who cook pickle usually eat it with sour cream. Azu also contains pickles that are in perfect harmony with this fermented milk product.
- Slices of fresh tomatoes will perfectly decorate plates with a Tatar national dish. Azu is always cooked with tomato paste, so tomatoes will be very appropriate.
- Fresh vegetables always look good on plates. They are healthy and therefore do not spoil a quality dinner. In addition to the tomato, you can put on the edge of the plate beautifully chopped cucumber.
- Aza in clay pots gives an atmosphere of warmth to the house. It is better to cook the dish immediately in small containers so as not to shift it when serving.
- For a change, some housewives do not add potatoes to the rest of the components of the Tatar dish, but serve fried slices separately. In this case, when frying potatoes, it is necessary to add salt to it, and you will not have to salt the pork at all, since the meat is cooked with a lot of pickles.
Pork and pickled aza are loved by both grown children and most adults. This is a healthy dish. It has a pronounced taste of garlic and pickles, which goes well with potatoes. Pork Azu - A great meal for your dining table.