Country-Style Fried Potatoes with Pork and Pickles

Ordinary fried potatoes are tasty but predictable. What if you turn them into a full main course that is not embarrassing to serve to guests? Picture it: juicy pieces of pork with a golden crust, forest mushrooms, and an unexpected but brilliant touch — pickled cucumbers. They add a piquant sourness and a pleasant crunch, perfectly balancing the richness of the meat. Here is how to cook the dish in a skillet so that the potatoes stay golden and the meat stays tender.

Ingredients

Pork (neck or shoulder) — 400 grams (14 oz);

potatoes — 5–6 pieces;

button mushrooms (or forest mushrooms) — 250 grams (9 oz);

pickled cucumbers — 2–3 medium;

onion — 1 large bulb;

garlic — 2 cloves;

vegetable oil — for frying;

butter — 30 grams (1 oz) (optional, for flavor);

salt, ground black pepper — to taste;

bay leaf — 1 piece.

Method

Cut the pork into cubes. Peel the potatoes and cut them into sticks or wedges. Slice the onion into half rings and the mushrooms into slices. Cut the pickled cucumbers into small cubes and lightly squeeze out excess brine with your hands.

Heat a skillet with vegetable oil over high heat. Add the pork in a single layer (do not overcrowd the pan, so the meat fries rather than stews). Fry, stirring, until golden brown — about 7–8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the meat to a plate.

In the now-free skillet (the oil is already flavored by the meat), add the sliced potatoes. Fry over medium heat without a lid, turning occasionally, until half-cooked and lightly golden — about 10–12 minutes. Season with salt.

Push the potatoes to the edges of the skillet, put the butter in the center (or simply add a little more vegetable oil), and add the onion and mushrooms. Fry them, stirring, until the mushrooms shrink in volume and brown and the onion turns translucent — about 5–7 minutes.

Return the fried pork to the skillet. Add the chopped pickled cucumbers and minced garlic. Mix everything thoroughly. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with a lid, and simmer for literally 3–4 minutes. This is needed so the cucumbers give off their flavor but keep their crunch.

Add the bay leaf and add more salt if needed (remember that the cucumbers are already salty). Turn off the heat. Let the dish rest under the lid for 5 minutes.

Tip: serve hot, generously sprinkled with fresh herbs — dill or green onion will perfectly complement the sourness of the cucumbers.

If you want to cook something else, read the recipe for Soviet-style «hedgehogs» in tomato and sour cream sauce.