Prleška Tünka

One of the charcuterie favorites of northeastern Slovenia, Prleška tünka originated from the region of Prlekija, where it's been produced for centuries. Tünka is made of premium pork cuts, cured with salt and seasoned with pepper, garlic, bay leaf and Persian cumin. The meat is then cooked, smoked, and finally preserved in lard.

The name comes from this traditional method of preserving: the meat cuts are plunged into so-called 'tünkas', wooden tubs filled with minced lard, where they mature for a period of at least 30 days. This way tünka retains its natural juices.

It is most commonly served with slices of rye bread smeared with lard, and garnished with peppers, pickles and onion rings.