Welcome to a taste of authentic Belarusian home cooking! Today, we're making Perlovaya Kasha with Meat, a rustic and incredibly satisfying dish that's essentially a pilaf made with pearl barley instead of rice. In Eastern European cuisine, kasha (a term for porridge) is the ultimate comfort food, and this version is no exception. It's a hearty, budget-friendly meal that transforms simple ingredients like pork, carrots, and onions into a rich and flavorful one-pot wonder. The chewy, nutty texture of the pearl barley makes it a fantastic alternative to traditional pilaf, creating a dish that is both familiar and uniquely delicious.
Pearl barley porridge with meat — Belarusian-style pearl barley pilaf
Ingredients for Pearl Barley Porridge with Meat
- 800 g pork belly
- 150 g yellow onion
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 200 g carrots
- 300 g pearl barley
- 30 ml sunflower oil
- salt, pepper, bay leaf
How to Cook Pearl Barley with Meat
Pearl barley is delicious on its own, but it has one drawback – even expensive varieties can contain foreign particles like small stones or clumps of soil. Therefore, we begin the cooking process by sorting the grains. Pour them onto a table, inspect them carefully, then transfer the cleaned grains to a bowl and cover with cold water for 10-15 minutes.
Drain the water and rinse the pearl barley under running water.
After soaking, rinse the pearl barley under running water
For this pilaf, you’ll need lean pork belly with generous layers of meat. If you don’t have pork belly, pork shoulder or lean pork leg will work well.
Cut the pork belly into large chunks. Pour sunflower oil into a heavy-bottomed pot. Once the oil is hot, add the meat pieces and fry until golden brown. If the pot is small and you have a lot of pork, fry it in batches. If you add all the meat at once, it will stew instead of browning.
Sauté the pork pieces in a pot
Crush the garlic cloves with the side of a knife. Peel the onion and cut it into small wedges.
Add the garlic and onion to the pot.
Add garlic and onion to the pot
Sauté the pork belly with the onion and garlic for about 6-7 minutes, until the onion turns a caramel color.
Next, add the julienned carrots and continue to sauté with the pork and onion for another 5-6 minutes, until the carrots are soft. As the carrots cook, they release their color into the fat, making the dish not only tasty but also beautiful.
Now, add the rinsed pearl barley to the pot. Use a spatula or spoon to spread it in an even layer. All that’s left is to cook our pearl barley porridge with meat.
Sauté the pork belly with onion and garlic for 6-7 minutes
Add the julienned carrots and sauté everything together again
Add the pearl barley to the pot
Pour in cold, filtered water so that the level is 2-3 centimeters above the ingredients. Another reliable way to measure the water is by volume: for 1 cup of pearl barley, use 2 cups of water.
Pour cold water into the pot with the porridge
Add a few black peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves, and salt to taste. Cover the pot tightly and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Then, remove the pot from the heat, wrap it in a towel, and let it steam for another 20 minutes.
Cook the pearl barley with meat over low heat for 45 minutes
Before serving, sprinkle the pearl barley porridge with meat with chopped green onions or dill.
The pearl barley porridge with meat is ready!
And there you have it—a steaming pot of delicious Belarusian-style pearl barley pilaf, ready to be shared. This dish is wonderful served hot, perhaps with a side of pickles or a simple cucumber and tomato salad to add a fresh, tangy contrast. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days and reheat beautifully, making it a great option for meal prep. We hope you enjoy this comforting taste of tradition and that it brings a little warmth and coziness to your table. Happy cooking!
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