Grestl

In former times, recycling was not only a fashion, it was a lifestyle, a lifestyle that was also used in cooking. A typical "recycling dish" from grandmother's time was a potato fry-up that in Ladin language we call "grestl". Grestl was made from simple, savory ingredients such as potatoes, meat, onions, eggs and speck. Our peasant women usually prepared “grestl” in the cold winter months by using advanced pork roast which they mixed with roast potatoes and onion directly in the pan. Nowadays in the refuges and restaurants in our valley the preparation is more elaborate and imaginative (many different ingredients can be added following the fantasy of the chefs) and the meat is prepared specially for the dish. The tasty main course is excellent accompanied by a fresh coleslaw salad.

Ingredients
250g meat / roast
500g potatoes
1 onion
Butter / oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh chives

Preparation
Boil potatoes with peel. Allow to cool. Once cold, peel and slice. Cut the meat into pieces / slices and finely chop the onions. Add the potatoes in hot butter (if you prefer you can use oil instead of butter), season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and toss until golden brown. Add meat (with some sauce if available) and cook until the potatoes are crispy.
Arrange on the plates and sprinkle with chives before serving.

Tips
- A variety of meats/roasts can be used such as beef, veal, pork, game or chicken.
- The “grestl” is excellent accompanied by a fresh coleslaw salad.
- If you like it more hearty, you can add some speck or put a fried egg or fried onion on top.