Hornazo de Salamanca
Salamanca Easter Meat Pie (Hornazo)- Yield
- One 12-by-9-inch pie, about 12 squares (serves 8 to 10)
- Active
- 1 hour
- Total
- About 4 hours, including 1 1/2 hours of rising and resting and 1 hour of cooling
- Difficulty
- Medium
The story
Hornazo is the meat-filled pie of Salamanca: a yeast dough baked around chorizo, marinated pork loin, ham and often hard-boiled egg. In Salamanca it belongs to Lunes de Aguas, held on the Monday after Easter Monday, which falls on April 5, 2027. That day thousands of people picnic with family and friends on the banks of the Tormes River, and the hornazo is the main dish. The explanation most often told is a 16th-century story. The city's licensed brothel, authorized by Prince Juan in 1497, was governed by ordinances that required its women to stop work during Lent and move across the river. On the Monday after Easter week a figure remembered as Padre Lucas let them return, and local people and students went to fetch them in boats decorated with branches, then celebrated outdoors with food. The pie itself may have started as food for shepherds. Since 2004 the name Hornazo de Salamanca has been protected by a guarantee mark that regulates its production. Bake it the day before, and carry it whole to slice for a spring picnic with olives and a green salad.
This recipe contains alcohol. It is meant for adults of legal drinking age.
Ingredients and method
The full recipe, with US and metric measures and stand-ins for hard-to-find ingredients, is part of the Easter edition. Buy it once and keep the PDF.
Want to try first? Torrijas is free to cook.