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Hungarian pork and sauerkraut goulash

This Hungarian pork and sauerkraut goulash is one of the most popular traditional Hungarian dishes. I’s called Székelykáposzta, which is wrongly translated by many as “Transylvanian cabbage”.  Actually, it’s  named after József Székely who was a friend of the poet Sándor Petőfi. According to legend, one day they went out for a late lunch, but the restaurant was running out of food. Székely asked the chef to mix together some goulash stew with sauerkraut pottage, the dishes that were still available on the menu. This was liked so much by Petőfi that every time he went back to the restaurant, he asked for this dish, referring to it as “székely cabbage”. Anyway, it’s really tasty and easy to make  -  although the cooking can take more than an hour, but if you had a pressure cooker you could reduce it to just 30 minutes. Serve it with sour cream and fresh bread. In Hungary this is a popular dish at Christmas time and during the summer for  garden parties and get-togethers (cooked in cauldron)
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Mid&East European
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 500 g diced pork shoulder or leg
  • 500 g sauerkraut
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp ground caraway seed
  • 1 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tomato & a large slice of red/yellow pepper optional
  • To serve: sour cream or Greek yoghurt

Method
 

  1. Cut the meat into bite-sized cubes.
  2. Finely chop the onion.
  3. Heat the oil in a casserole dish and sauté the onion until translucent.
  4. Add the diced pork and stir until it becomes white, then add the crushed garlic, paprika, caraway seeds, then season with salt and pepper. Stir for 20 seconds then pour in enough water to cover. You can add a tomato and a slice of red or green pepper if you like.
  5. Add the bay leaf and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 45 minutes until you get a stew with a thick sauce.
  6. Meanwhile, wash the sauerkraut and squeeze out the juice.
  7. After 45 minutes of cooking, remove the pepper, if used, and add the cabbage. You might need to add a drop more water.
  8. Bring to the boil, cover and cook for another 30-45 minutes, until the meat is tender.
  9. Serve with sour cream.