Serving
(click to enlarge)

 Pork & Sauerkraut Stew
Hungary   -   Székely Gulyás
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 quart  
**
2-1/2 hrs  
Better
Székely (say-ki-ee) Gulyás isn't Gulyás, and the story goes that it isn't from Székely (a Hungarian tribe in Transylvania) - see Note-6. It is, however, delicious and endlessly popular.



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--- 		Pork, lean (1)
Smoked Sausage (2)  
Onion
Garlic
Sauerkraut (3)
Bacon, fatty (4)
Caraway Seeds
Paprika (5)
Stock, Pork
Salt
Pepper
-- Serve with
    Sour Cream? 		Prep:   -   (20 min)
  1. Cut PORK into 1 inch cubes discarding excess fat. Slice SAUSAGE into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Mix.
  2. Chop ONION medium, chop GARLIC medium, mix.
  3. Drain SAUERKRAUT but keep the liquid. You may need some to adjust sourness when the stew is done.
  4. Cut BACON into 1/2 inch pieces.
Run:   -   (2 hrs)
  1. In a heavy bottomed pot, Fry Bacon over low heat until its fat is rendered and it starts to brown.
  2. Stir in Onion mix and Caraway Seeds. Fry slowly, stirring often until onions start to color. then stir in Paprika followed by Pork and Sausage. Stir to mix, then pour in Stock, and Sauerkraut, cover and simmer until Pork is tender, around 1-1/2 hours.
  3. Check liquid, there should be plenty, season to taste with Salt (probably none will be needed) and Pepper. Adjust sourness to taste by adding some of the juice from the Sauerkraut.
  4. Serve hot. Traditionally Sour Cream is stirred in off the heat or passed separately. Personally I prefer it just a touch more tart and without the sour cream, but that would be a little less Hungarian and more German / Polish.
NOTES:
  1. Pork:   Weight is boneless and with all excess fat removed. Shoulder is good here, but leg will do fine as well. Loin is a bit too tender and lacks flavor.
  2. Smoked Sausage:   If you can't get Hungarian kolbasz, it's pretty much the same as Polish kielbasa but with paprika added, so a quality kielbasa works fine.
  3. Sauerkraut: A lot depends on the quality of the sauerkraut. Choose one that's fresh, crisp, sharp and tastes good right out of the jar or bag. I've had good results with Vitarol brand and some other Polish sauerkrauts. Alas, Meter's Wisconsin Kraut is no longer available.
  4. Bacon:   This should be slab bacon (available from European delis). Actually, I use Bar M ends and pieces which tend to be fairly thick, well smoked, and cheaper (but sometimes a little too lean).
  5. Paprika:   Please, real Hungarian paprika - not that red sawdust they sell in the supermarkets.
  6. The Story:   A famous poet/journalist, Jozsef Szekely, showed up at a restaurant at closing time. All they had left was a little pork goulash and some sauerkraut. He was hungry so he told the cook to mix it all together to make a meal. He liked it and people started asking for "Szekely's Gulyás". That was about 1846 and the dish has been popular in Hungary ever since. As with most food stories involving famous people it is not likely true. Some reliable sources do refer this recipe to the Székely in Transylvania (now in Romania), and there is a Beef Goulash with Sauerkraut version named for a specific Székely subtribe, the Csángós.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar="as required tt=to taste
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