Studenina Palinko Style, A Legendary Recipe — Timmy Palinko was known all over the Pocono Mountains for his magnificent homemade whiskey. Timmy operated a butcher shop in Freeland, and while his meat was the finest quality, it was the top-of-the-line whiskey he manufactured that made him a rich man.
He had runners in every coal patch in Luzerne County. Of course federal agents were always after them. One day in Freeland, a well-dressed agent approached Baron Lutz, one of Timmy’s runners.
The dapper detective told Baron he would give him $10 for a quart of good whiskey.
“Can’t do it for $10,” said Baron. “It will cost you $40.
The agent agreed, and handed over the $40.
“Hold this shoebox,” Baron said. “I’ll be back.”
After a while, the agent began to get suspicious. He opened the shoebox and found a quart of Timmy’s best whiskey, so he got what he paid for. It was hard for the feds to put one over on the natives.Timmy’s liquor still was hidden in the desolate strippings behind Eckley, and there was no agent alive who was ever going to find it.
Timmy, during certain holidays, would give out a bonus pint of his finest cornbrew to the best customers at the butcher shop.
One Easter there was an unbelievable run on the pork sausage.Timmy was making it as fast as he could and just barely keeping up with the demand. He finally ran out of pork.
“Keep everything under control,” he told an assistant. “I’ll be right back.”
He hopped into his pickup truck and took a ride into the countryside where he knew there were always pigs along the road. He spotted one, and simply ran over it. He tossed it into the front seat where it would not be seen, and headed back home.
He was in such a hurry, he ran a stoplight, and was pulled over by a state policeman new to the area.
“I’m sorry officer, I’m in a big hurry,” Timmy said, pointing to the pig. “That’s my sick brother, and I’m rushing him to the doctor.”
The cop took one look and waved Timmy on.
“I’ve seen a lot of ugly people in my time, but your brother has got to be the ugliest in the entire world,” the cop said.
Timmy smiled. “I’ll tell him what you said. He’ll be might proud,” Timmy said. A few minutes later he was back in his shop butchering the hog. The bulk of which was used in the making of his sausage.
But the feet were set aside to use in making studenina, a Slovak delicacy of which one never tires once one gets the courage to try.
Timmy enjoyed his whiskey, studennia and sausage.
After Prohibition, Timmy went into the legitimate whiskey making business, and until he died on April 27, 1947 put out what might have been be the best sipping whiskey in the world. His studennia weren’t bad either.
Timmy Palinko’s studennia recipe follows:
4 trotters (pig’s feet either split or not)
2 garlic cloves or 1 Tbl of garlic powder
6 peppercorns
3 Tbl black pepper
3 bay leaves
1 Tbl salt
1 Tbl paprika
Place the trotters in a large pot and add just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, skimming if necessary, for a half-hour. Remove them and discard the water. Rinse them and the pot. Place the trotters along with the rest of the ingredients back in the pot. Cover again with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for about three or four hours until meat is falling off the bone. Place the trotters in large bowls—Corningware works great. Pour the liquid over the trotters and let stand overnight in a cold place.
