Leskovačka mućkalica – grilled pork with roasted peppers

Heat the oven to 230°C with conventional top and bottom heat. Halve the peppers, remove the stems and seed cores, then weigh out 600 g flesh with skin. Cut the pork neck into steaks about 1.5 cm thick. Cut the onion into thin slivers and finely chop the garlic and chili. Chop the tomatoes with their skin and seeds, keeping all the juice they release. Set the parsley aside for finishing.

Place the pepper halves skin side up on a metal baking sheet, without adding oil. Roast for about 25–30 minutes, until the flesh softens and the skin develops dark blisters. Transfer the roasted peppers to a bowl, adding any juice collected on the baking sheet. Cover the bowl and leave for 10 minutes so the steam helps loosen the skin.

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle safely, remove the skin with your fingers or a small knife. Do not rinse the flesh under water, so you keep its flavor and juices. Cut all the peeled flesh into wide strips and leave it in the bowl with all the collected juice. Discard only the skins; do not weigh the roasted peppers again.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush all the steaks thinly with a total of 10 g oil set aside for grilling. Cook in two batches of about 300 g, usually for 3–4 minutes on each side, until well browned with clear grill marks. Do not crowd the steaks in the pan. Make sure the meat is fully cooked, extending grilling as needed for the thickness of the steaks. Transfer them to one deep plate, keeping the juices.

Cut the grilled pork neck into pieces about 2–3 cm across, keeping all the juice on the plate. Lower the heat under the empty pan and carefully add the 50 g water set aside for it. Gently scrape up the browned juices and remaining fat with a wooden spatula. Keep the resulting liquid with the meat; do not pour it away and do not add extra water.

In a wide pot holding about 4 liters, heat the remaining 20 g oil. Add all the onion and cook over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. It should soften noticeably and turn lightly golden. Do not brown it rapidly, as it forms the sweet base of the sauce.

Add the garlic and chili to the onion, stir briefly, then add all the sweet paprika powder. Heat for about a minute in total, taking care not to burn the spice. Add all the tomatoes with their juice and the remaining 100 g water. Cook gently without a lid for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes break down and form a thick vegetable base.

Add all the pork neck with the juices from the plate and pan, all the peeled roasted peppers with their juice, and the salt and pepper. Combine carefully, cover and stew over low heat for about 15 minutes. Then uncover and cook for about another 4–5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Shake the pot occasionally or gently turn the ingredients with a spatula. If the meat needs more time, stew it longer, covered, over low heat.

Add all the finely chopped parsley and mix gently. Take the pot off the heat, cover and leave for 5 minutes so the flavors come together. Divide all the mućkalica into four servings, distributing the meat, peppers and all the remaining sauce evenly. Serve hot, without draining vegetables or fat from the dish.