History

Maczanka po krakowsku originated in 19th-century Kraków as a hot lunch sandwich for market porters and stagecoach drivers. The name comes from 'maczać' (to dip): the bread roll is dipped in the cooking sauce just before serving. The dish was effectively extinct by the 1980s and was deliberately revived as a Kraków heritage food by the city's culinary association in the 2010s. Andrus on Sławkowska 19 is the editorial Kraków revival window, serving the sandwich for 18 zl. The dish predates the kebab as Kraków's late-night handheld and has been formally recognised by the Polish Ministry of Agriculture as a regional traditional product since 2007.

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Warsaw

Guided tour · 3h 30m

Warsaw: Polish Food Tour

The Polish food tour is a great way to experience a must-try cuisine of this amazing country. A professional guide will teach you all there is to...

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Common allergens: Gluten, Mustard if served with

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm pieces
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram (or 1 tablespoon dried)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • 30ml sunflower oil
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • Salt, black pepper
  • 4 soft kajzerka or Vienna bread rolls

Method

  1. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and brown the pork in batches over high heat; set aside.
  2. Lower the heat. Add the chopped onions to the same pot and soften for 10 minutes. Add garlic, caraway, marjoram and bay; cook 2 more minutes.
  3. Return the pork to the pot. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer.
  4. Cover and braise gently for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the pork shreds easily with a fork.
  5. Shred the pork in the pot with two forks. Check for salt; the sauce should be thick and glossy. Reserve a cup of the cooking liquid for dipping.
  6. Split the kajzerka rolls. Pile each with a generous portion of shredded pork. Dip the cut side of the upper half briefly in the reserved cooking broth, place on top, eat hot.

Tip from the editors. The dip-the-bread step is the dish's defining trick; without it, the sandwich is fine but not maczanka.

Where to eat maczanka po krakowsku

Maczanka po krakowsku in Kraków

Andrus (Maczanka po krakowsku) ★ 4.4

$ Street food

Andrus in Kraków's Kazimierz revives maczanka po krakowsku, the city's marinated-slow-roasted-pork sandwich on a homemade bun. Started as a food truck 2014.

TryMaczanka krakowska

TipThe sandwich runs 18 zl. Cash and card. Closed Sunday; queue at lunch.

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