Tochitură — Pork with Mămăligă and Fried Eggs

Pat the pork shoulder dry and cut into cubes about 3 cm across. Finely chop or crush the garlic, but set it aside to add later. Prepare a wide, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, holding about 4 l. Use clean dishes and utensils for the cooked accompaniments; they must not have been in contact with raw pork.

Heat 20 g of oil in the pot. Add half the pork and brown over medium-high heat for about 5–7 minutes, turning the pieces. Transfer to a plate and brown the second batch in the same way, using the fat left in the pot. Return the first batch with all the juices from the plate. The meat should have browned patches but does not need to be tender yet.

Pour in 300 ml hot water and scrape up the browned juices from the bottom with a spatula. Add 5 g of salt and all the pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and braise over low heat for about 60–80 minutes. Stir occasionally and check that a little liquid remains at the bottom. If the meat is still firm, extend the cooking by 15–20 minutes; if it starts to dry out, add a little of the prepared 100 ml extra water at a time. The cooked shoulder should yield easily to a fork, without firm, springy pieces. Leave all the liquid and rendered fat in the pot.

When the pork is almost tender, bring 900 ml water and 3 g of salt to a boil in a separate pot. Reduce the heat and pour in all 240 g of cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Cook over very low heat for about 20–30 minutes, following the package time for regular cornmeal. Stir often with a wooden spoon, especially along the bottom, until the grains soften and the mixture is smooth and thick but still spoonable. Watch out for hot, splattering bubbles; partially cover the pot during brief pauses in stirring. Do not drain the mămăligă.

When the pork is tender, remove the lid. If there is plenty of liquid, cook for about 3–5 minutes, stirring, until a reduced sauce coats the pieces. Add all the garlic, sweet paprika, and thyme. Stir and cook over low heat for another 2–3 minutes, but do not let the paprika burn. Do not pour off the fat or sauce. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and cover while you fry the eggs.

Heat 10 g of oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Crack in the four eggs, keeping the yolks intact. Cover and fry for about 4–6 minutes, until the whites are fully set; cook longer for firmer yolks. Meanwhile, crumble all the drained telemea cheese. Keep the cooked mămăligă covered only until you serve the portions so it does not dry out.

Divide all the mămăligă among four plates. Add a quarter of the pork to each, along with all the sauce and fat from the pot. Place an egg on each portion of mămăligă, distribute the remaining oil from the skillet as well, and sprinkle 20 g of cheese over each serving. Serve immediately. Each portion includes all these components; extra bread, sour cream, or butter are not part of the recipe.