Croatian Hunter’s Stew

Lovački lonac, often translated as Croatian hunter’s stew, sits in the same family of long-simmered meat dishes that appear around the Balkans wherever game, fire, and a heavy pot meet. In Slavonia and central Croatia, hunters’ kitchens shaped this style of stew as a way to cook mixed cuts of venison, wild boar, or other game with whatever domestic meat, onions, and root vegetables stood ready in the pantry. Wine, paprika, and herbs round out the pot, turning a modest list of ingredients into something layered and steady in flavor. Dishes such as lovačka juha (hunter’s soup) and meat stews made from venison or other game, cooked with onions, red wine, paprika, and herbs, show the same basic pattern.

The word lonac simply means “pot,” and it links the stew to a wider tradition of pot-cooked meat and vegetable dishes, such as Bosnian bosanski lonac, where large chunks of meat and vegetables cook slowly in a deep vessel. Hunters and home cooks would pack the pot generously, often using several kinds of meat in one batch. Beef and pork stand in when game is scarce, yet the seasoning remains close to hunting roots: plenty of onion, paprika, bay leaf, and a good splash of wine.

This hunter’s stew leans on a few key ideas. The first is patience with onions. A slow sauté of a large quantity of onion gives the stew body, natural sweetness, and a thickened texture without heavy flour-based roux. The second is a mix of meats. Combining beef chuck with pork shoulder and, when available, a little game brings variation in collagen and fat, which leads to a richer, more rounded broth. Recipes for Slavonian čobanac, another regional meat stew, work with similar combinations of beef, pork, and sometimes horse or game, paprika, and wine, and illustrate how common this mixed-meat approach is in the region.

Paprika plays a central role. Sweet paprika forms the base, while a modest spoonful of hot paprika adds warmth rather than sharp heat. Tomato paste, red wine, and stock support the paprika and help the sauce take on a deep brick-red color. Herbs such as bay, thyme, and marjoram echo the forest setting and match the flavor of game or robust cuts of beef. Mushrooms appear in some hunter’s stews, especially those that lean closer to hunter’s soups cooked with venison and red wine. 

This version balances traditional structure with a clear, modern workflow suited to a home kitchen. It uses beef chuck and pork shoulder as the core meats, with an optional portion of venison or wild boar for cooks who have access to game. The stew simmers on the stovetop in a heavy pot, though it can move to a low oven once everything comes to a gentle bubble. The method focuses on building flavor in stages: browning the meat, carefully cooking the onions, toasting paprika briefly in fat, then adding liquid and letting time do its work.

For many households, lovački lonac comes out for cold weather, gatherings after a day outdoors, or family celebrations where a single large pot needs to feed a mixed crowd. The dish is filling, sturdy, and forgiving. It tolerates a little variation in meat types and vegetable mix, yet rewards care with seasoning and heat control. Served with crusty bread, boiled or mashed potatoes, or a simple dumpling, it becomes a complete plate that feels anchored in place and season.

The recipe below aims to give a version that respects Croatian hunter’s stew tradition while fitting a modern schedule. It keeps the ingredient list focused, uses common supermarket cuts, and offers clear cues for tenderness and seasoning. With enough time on the stove and a heavy pot, the meat softens, the vegetables melt into a thick sauce, and the paprika-led broth takes on the kind of depth associated with long, unhurried cooking.