Čobanac: Slavonian Shepherd's Paprika Stew from Croatia

A shepherd's pot became the dish of Slavonian festivals

The name čobanac comes from čoban, "shepherd" in South Slavic. The alternative name pastirac is likewise taken from pastir, shepherd. The dish is said to have begun as a simple stew made by shepherds and rural workers, who would put the meat and onions at hand into a pot and leave it on the fire while they tended livestock.

Slavonia is the easternmost, flat region of Croatia, bounded by the Danube, Sava, and Drava rivers. It is utterly different from the fish and olive oil cooking of the Adriatic coast; at the center of the table are cured pork products and stews made with paprika. As in neighboring Hungary, it is a kitchen that cannot begin without paprika. The red color and aroma of čobanac also come from the generous amount of paprika that goes in.

Traditionally, čobanac is made by cooking several kinds of meat together. With beef and pork as the axis, mutton and game such as venison and wild boar from hunting may go in. The formula differs by household and village, and which meat goes in at what share shows each house's taste. Cooking various meats in a single pot gives a broth in which the savor of each meat layers.

Ingredients (serves 6)

The red color of čobanac comes almost entirely from paprika powder. Most paprika powder sold in supermarkets is the mild, sweet kind, which can be used as it is. Hot paprika can be found at import food stores or online, but if you cannot find it, a pinch of ground red chili does the job of the heat. Pig's trotters are often sold pre-boiled at butcher shops, and their gelatin gives the broth a pleasant body.

How to make čobanac

Prep is about 20 minutes. Cut the meat into cubes of the same size, and chop the onion and potato. The simmering takes 2 to 2 and a half hours. The tough meats go in first, and the pork, which softens more easily, goes into the pot 30 minutes later.

Dipping bread, around the big kettle

Serve čobanac generously in a deep bowl with thick slices of bread. It has too many solids to be called a soup and too much liquid to be called a stew, so it is best eaten while dipping bread in it. The American food magazine Milk Street also introduces serving it with mashed potatoes or crusty bread. In a home kitchen, crusty bread such as country bread goes well.

In the same family of paprika stews, across the border in Hungary it becomes chicken paprikash (in Japanese), finished with chicken and sour cream, or beef goulash. So different that you would not believe it comes from the same country, the Adriatic coastal stew is pašticada (in Japanese).

Frequently asked questions

Can I make it without trotters?

Yes. Trotters give the broth body and richness, so if you have none, add about 200 g more pork shoulder. The broth finishes a little thinner.

Can I make it not spicy?

If you leave out the hot paprika and use only sweet paprika, there is almost no heat. When eating with children, you can add the hot paprika or ground red chili only to the adults' bowls.

Can I make it ahead?

It is suited to making ahead, since the flavor melds after standing overnight. After the heat has gone, move it to a lidded container and refrigerate, and eat it up soon. When rewarming, heat until the whole thing is thoroughly hot.

May I make it with only beef?

Yes. The American Milk Street recipe presents a variation made only with beef chuck. But combining several kinds of meat is the way of Slavonian homes, so if you can, simmer pork in it too.

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