by Alice Spande

Comment: This meal is a tradition from the Puszta (Great Plain) area near Kecskemét, just north of Katymar. Although I’ve credited this recipe as taken from Fintor’s cookbook, most of it is from first-hand experience at age 9 when a maternal uncle, Joseph Krix, took his daughter, nephew, and niece (me) for a real Gypsy cookout. For an American-born, among 3 Hungarian-born relatives, I experienced for the first time, the wonderful taste and fun of this activity. My sister Eva has memories of eating it when Mom and Dad made a picnic of it, many years before I was born. It may not be ‘heart-healthy’ but it sure tasted good! I am told, real Hungarians eat the onion as if you were eating an apple in your hand, but it’s a little tricky to hold the skewer, the bread, and the onion. This version is easier and just as tasty.]
• One wood campfire
• And one each of the following per person: long wooden skewer or stick with pointed end
• 2”x 4” rectangle of smoked slab bacon
• A couple very, very thick slices of Rye bread covered with a slice of onion
• Chopped green pepper (optional)
• Diced radishes (optional)
Prepare the fire and your slice of bread with its toppings. Skewer the bacon as if you were pushing a sewing needle in and out of the bacon in a long running stitch. Flatten bacon as much as possible. Hold bacon over fire until it sizzles and drips grease. Pull bacon away from the flame and hold over the bread and vegetables, allowing the drippings to soak into the bread. Return bacon to cook over flame. Continue the cook-drip procedure until your slice of bread is saturated with as much of the bacon drippings as you desire. When the bacon becomes crispy, dice it and spread over more bread and vegetables.”

Research Source: Fintor, Yolanda Nagy. Hungarian Cookbook (Old World Recipes for New World Cooks). New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc. 2003, page 21.]
[Edited by Rose Mary Keller Hughes, Recipe Coordinator]

Last updated: 12/07/2025