The star of the dish is a piece of pork that has been slowly smoked over wood smoke to give it a rich, deep flavour. The meat is then simmered in a pot until it is very tender. Alongside it come plump broad beans cooked in a creamy sauce seasoned with parsley and a little vinegar for brightness.
Judd is usually served with boiled potatoes — simple, starchy and perfect for soaking up the sauce. The combination of smoky meat, creamy beans and soft potatoes is deeply satisfying, the kind of dish that warms you up on a cold autumn or winter day.
The dish has been eaten in Luxembourg for centuries. In the past, smoking meat was a way of preserving it so it would last through winter. Broad beans were one of the most reliable crops a farmer could grow, which is why this combination became so popular and so loved.
Today judd mat gaardebounen is served in restaurants across Luxembourg as a point of national pride. On Luxembourg's National Day celebrations, you will often find it on menus. Many Luxembourgish families have their own particular recipe, passed down from grandparents to parents to children.