Pork and Potato Babka
A hearty and savory pie with a potato crust filled with seasoned ground pork, onions, and mushrooms. This dish is a comforting meal, often compared to a large stuffed potato pancake.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Potatoes(high-starch variety recommended, peeled)
- 2 medium Onion(1 finely chopped for filling, 1 grated for crust)
- 500 g Ground pork
- 30 g Dried porcini mushrooms(soaked in 1 cup of water for 2 hours)
- 0.5 cup Breadcrumbs
- 3 medium Pickles(sliced)
- 4 tbsp Pork fat or vegetable oil
- to taste Salt
- to taste Black pepper
- 0.25 cup Sour cream(for thickening filling and topping)
- 1 tbsp Flour(for thickening sauce)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Soak dried mushrooms in 1 cup of water for about 2 hours. Reserve the soaking liquid for the broth. Drain and slice the mushrooms.
- 2
Fry the sliced mushrooms and finely chopped onion together in a frying pan until softened. Stir in the breadcrumbs and fry for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- 3
Place the ground pork in a bowl. Add the fried mushroom and onion mixture, sliced pickles, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream to bind the filling.
- 4
Grate the potatoes using the large holes of a box grater. Grate one of the onions with the same side of the grater, tossing the potato shreds with the grated onion to prevent browning.
- 5
Squeeze the excess liquid from the grated potato and onion mixture. Mix in the reserved potato starch (from the squeezed liquid), and 1/2 tsp salt.
- 6
Grease a 10-inch cast iron or ceramic pan. Press 1/3 of the potato mixture into the bottom of the pan to form the crust base.
- 7
Spread the pork filling evenly over the potato base, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges.
- 8
Press half of the remaining potato mixture around the sides of the meat filling to form the outer crust. Top the tart with the rest of the potato mixture.
- 9
Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of sour cream over the top of the potato babka. Drizzle with the reserved mushroom soaking liquid (strained) mixed with 1 tbsp flour to create a light sauce, if desired.
- 10
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Using a higher-starch potato variety will yield a better crust.
- ✓Ensure the potato mixture is squeezed very dry for a crispier crust.
- ✓The filling can be pre-cooked for a richer flavor, though this recipe uses raw filling for simplicity.
✨ Twist Ideas
Inspiration for your own version of this recipe
- Add sautéed mushrooms to the filling for extra flavor.
- Use a mix of ground pork and beef for the filling.
- Season the filling with summer savory for a traditional touch.