Serves 12-18 People
The holidays are all about sharing comfort food with comforting people. We tend to eat more of the food that tastes delicious than what is actually healthy for our bodies. And that is OK….in moderation. So make your soul, stomach, and mother-in-law happy by eating her fudge this season. I believe in making healthy choices 90% of the time, but sometimes we all just need to live a little! Don’t feel guilty dabbling in cuisine you normally do not.
Why in the world am I talking about eating sassy this season? Well, I am giving you a Czech recipe from my grandparents that feels like comfort food to me. This is the recipe for Czech Mathunky. I am sure that many of you have no idea what I am talking about. Mathunky is a thinly rolled bread that includes crackling and saurkraut. (See below for an explanation of crackling.) The outer edges of mathunky can be crunchy and the middle is usually soft. Some people will fight over the soft pieces whereas others will swear to only eat the crunchy pieces. To each their own. Two very different textures are available in every batch of mathunky. There is definitely nothing sweet about mathunky and I am assuming it is an acquired taste. However, it is a favorite within my family and around the town, I grew up in within Wisconsin. When staying overnight at my grandparents' house, I can still remember waking up to the smell of mathunky very early in the morning. It was and still is a smell that reminds me of home. To me, mathunky is a comfort food because it does just that, comforts me. From my table to yours, here is mathunky.
Ingredients:
48 ounces of sauerkraut
2 cups of pork crackling
2 tsp of pepper
Gluten-free flour to correct consistency
Instructions:
1. Turn your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Open the sauerkraut and drain in a strainer. Then place the sauerkraut in an empty bowl.
3. Add 2 cups of pork crackling to the bowl.
4. Add 2 tsp of pepper to the bowl.
5. Add a 1/2 cup of flour and mix with your hands until evenly distributed.
6. Add another 1/2 cup of flour and mix with your hands until evenly distributed.
7. Add additional flour if the mixture is sticky. You are looking to have a consistency similar to cookie dough so that you are able to roll out the dough.
8. Put flour on the counter. Place 1/4-1/3 of the dough in the bowl onto the counter.
9. Use the rolling pin to flatten the dough.
10. You can do one of two things now. Place the entire flattened piece of dough on a baking pan or cut up your dough and place small pieces on a baking pan. A cookie sheet may be used as well.
11. Place your baking pan/cookie sheet in the oven and set the timer for 12 minutes.
12. Pull out your baking pan/cookie sheet and turn over your mathunky. Place the pan/sheet back into the oven for an additional 12 minutes.
13. Pull the baking pan/cookie sheet out. The sides of the mathunky should be crispy or dark and the middle should look soft and light. If you think your mathunky looks done, take it out of the oven. If not, put it back in the oven using 2-minute increments.
14. Wait for the mathunky to cool for 10 minutes. If the mathunky is not cut, you may use scissors to cut it into pieces.
15. Repeat steps 8-14 for the mathunky dough remaining in the bowl until it is gone.
16. Serve and enjoy.
Additional Comments:
What is crackling? When looking crackling up on the internet you will find that crackling and pork rinds or fried pork skin are synonyms. However, this is not what I mean by cracklings. A long long time ago (once upon a time) our grandparents rendered lard. What does that exactly mean? They cooked the fat of a pig until it turned into an oil-like substance called lard and used it for cooking. This process removes the water from the fat which makes it safer to store for longer periods of time. When straining this cooked fat into jars, the leftover fat and small bits of meat that would not cook down were saved to use in different dishes. Crackling is the extra fat that would not render or cook down. Are cracklings anti-inflammatory? I cannot say for certain because there have been contradictory findings. However, eating cracklings can give you a few health benefits. After olive oil, lard contains the most monounsaturated fat which is a healthy fat for your heart helping lower cholesterol. It is high in vitamin D and choline.
Where would I find crackling? You may be able to find it at your local butcher shop. Otherwise, you can buy pig fat at your local butcher shop and render lard yourself in a crockpot. Here is a quick YouTube link explaining how to render lard and separate the cracklings. https://youtu.be/OTUkp7PLlJ0
I used a mixed multi-purpose gluten-free flour in this recipe that included brown rice flour, chickpea flour, and xanthan gum. Many different brands of multi-purpose gluten-free flour can be used for this recipe including Bob's Red Mill, Betty Crocker, Better Batter, Pamela's, Simply Balanced, Pillsbury, and many more.
Mathunky freezes well! Make sure to place mathunky into a freezer bag; it will last 1-2 months.
An Added Thought
Living in Costa Rica has afforded me conversations with many people around the world. In just one night we can have an Indian, a German, a Spaniard, a Swiss, a Nicaraguan, a Korean, and an Aussie sitting around the same table. I treasure these nights because you can obtain opinions from around the globe. One night, in particular, comes to mind. We were talking about traditions and customs of different countries. An alarming amount of people around the table felt that Americans didn't have any true traditions. I was shocked at these statements. I felt the need to defend myself as the only American at the table. In my opinion, not only did we have American traditions (4th of July, grilling, etc), but we continue to embrace traditions from our heritage and spirituality.
This conversation quickly turned into a Sociology 101 lesson as I explained the difference between the “Melting Pot” and “Salad Bowl” theories for integration of multicultural societies. For those of you that don’t know these terms, the "Melting Pot" theory suggests that immigrants assimilate into one common "American" culture and abandon any past culture/s they were previously a part of. In contrast, the "Salad Bowl" theory suggests that immigrants are brought together in a common "American" culture, but each culture continues to have its own distinct qualities practiced in smaller communities. I believe that often the United States is often portrayed as having a "Melting Pot" theory within the world news, but in reality, it holds more of the "Salad Bowl" theory. America likes to seem unified as one great nation, but when it comes down to it, each state technically has its own culture. When I lived in South Carolina, I often ate "chicken bog" and went out to dance the "shag." However, when growing up in Wisconsin, I ate "mathunky" and "kolaches" while dancing the "polka." Even though these activities were within the same country, one living in a state away may not be aware of the other state's traditions. Our states are the size of most European countries. Montana is about the same size as Germany to give you a comparison. Since the United States is so large, it would make sense that culture from state to state would vary. I feel these state differences are conveyed within the news in the United States, but often not conveyed well within the world news.
Now America not only holds diversity by the location of which you live within it but that by the particular person residing in the country. Since America is a country full of immigrants, we all bring in our own traditions from our family heritage and spirituality. Even though citizens may not hold unified traditions in different life events (for example - celebrating birthdays, weddings, etc.) or holidays (Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, Winter Solstice), we continue to celebrate the way our ancestors did. This rings true to me when I am able to eat Czech mathunky on Christmas with my family.
I'm just curious! What types of traditions has your family carried over from your heritage that you continue to use in America? Do tell all!
Opmerkingen