Kurut with dried dill, served with fresh parsley Rehydrated Kurut Dip with Dill & Olive Oil Saucy Galbi served with sesame seeds and cilantro Braised Short Ribs (Galbi-jjim Style) Freshly baked pumpkin seed biscuits Roasted Pumpkin Seed Biscuits Spiced Honey Cake served Spiced Honey Cake Chocolate lava cake with gooey center Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes Roasted sausage served with mustard Oven-Roasted Sausages with Mustard Fideuà with cuttlefish served, garnished with fresh parsley Seafood Pasta with Cuttlefish (Fideuà) Haleem with vegetables served, rich, thick and spicy dish Vegetable Haleem Stew Blue cheese croissants served Blue Cheese Croissants Chocolate cream cake with chocolate glaze Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake Tinda dahi with yogurt and cilantro, garnished with fresh lime leaf Creamy Yogurt Curried Squash (Tinda Masala) Spicy Biltong with lime slices and cilantro Spicy Biltong Salad with Lime Martabak Manis with condensed milk, chocolate, and banana Indonesian Sweet Pancake (Martabak Manis) Spicy Shakshuka with eggs and vegetables. Spicy Turkish Vegetable Shakshuka (Şakşuka) Frikadeller served with brown gravy and fresh parsley Danish Pork Meatballs (Frikadeller) with Gravy Creamy cauliflower and swiss chard soup served in a bowl Creamy Cauliflower & Swiss Chard Soup Strawberry cheesecake crepes plated Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes Oopsie bread low carb cloud bread fresh from the oven Oopsie Bread - Low Carb Cloud Bread Beef and yuba stir-fry with soy sauce and vegetables Beef & Yuba Stir-Fry Zeppole filled with sour cherry jam and dusted with sugar Sour Cherry Filled Italian Donuts Kurut with dried dill, served with fresh parsley Rehydrated Kurut Dip with Dill & Olive Oil Saucy Galbi served with sesame seeds and cilantro Braised Short Ribs (Galbi-jjim Style) Freshly baked pumpkin seed biscuits Roasted Pumpkin Seed Biscuits Spiced Honey Cake served Spiced Honey Cake Chocolate lava cake with gooey center Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes Roasted sausage served with mustard Oven-Roasted Sausages with Mustard Fideuà with cuttlefish served, garnished with fresh parsley Seafood Pasta with Cuttlefish (Fideuà) Haleem with vegetables served, rich, thick and spicy dish Vegetable Haleem Stew Blue cheese croissants served Blue Cheese Croissants Chocolate cream cake with chocolate glaze Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake Tinda dahi with yogurt and cilantro, garnished with fresh lime leaf Creamy Yogurt Curried Squash (Tinda Masala) Spicy Biltong with lime slices and cilantro Spicy Biltong Salad with Lime Martabak Manis with condensed milk, chocolate, and banana Indonesian Sweet Pancake (Martabak Manis) Spicy Shakshuka with eggs and vegetables. Spicy Turkish Vegetable Shakshuka (Şakşuka) Frikadeller served with brown gravy and fresh parsley Danish Pork Meatballs (Frikadeller) with Gravy Creamy cauliflower and swiss chard soup served in a bowl Creamy Cauliflower & Swiss Chard Soup Strawberry cheesecake crepes plated Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes Oopsie bread low carb cloud bread fresh from the oven Oopsie Bread - Low Carb Cloud Bread Beef and yuba stir-fry with soy sauce and vegetables Beef & Yuba Stir-Fry Zeppole filled with sour cherry jam and dusted with sugar Sour Cherry Filled Italian Donuts
Traditional Székely cabbage with juicy pork and sauerkraut, served with sour cream.
Székely cabbage with pork and sauerkraut, enriched with sour cream.

Hungarian Pork and Sauerkraut Stew (Székely Goulash)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
This dish is one of Hungarian cuisine's most brilliant 'hybrids', combining the depth of stew with the freshness of sauerkraut. Legend says it was archivist József Székely's idea to mix leftover stew and cabbage soup. The secret lies in slow, combined braising: meat fibers melt to butter-softness in the acidic environment, while cabbage absorbs the smoky, paprikan juices.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 50 mins
🍽️ Servings 5 servings
🔥 Calories 600 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
  • Cutting board and sharp knife for cubing meat
  • Wooden spoon
  • Small bowl for mixing thickener
  • Ladle

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Taste the sauerkraut. If too salty or intense, rinse in cold water, then squeeze out thoroughly.

Tip: Fermented cabbage acidity determines the dish's character, but too much salt can overpower the meat flavor.
2 ✓

Sauté the finely chopped onion in fat until translucent. Remove from heat, stir in paprika and pour in a splash of water.

Tip: Don't burn paprika in hot fat, or it becomes bitter. Water stops the temperature rise.
3 ✓

Return to heat, add meat, and sear on high until whitened. Add crushed garlic, caraway, and bay leaf.

Tip: Searing meat creates deeper flavors in the stew juices.
4 ✓

Pour in a little water, cover, and braise meat until half-cooked (approx. 45-50 minutes).

Tip: Pork needs time for connective tissues (collagen) to start gelatinizing, making it tender.
5 ✓

Add squeezed sauerkraut, mix, and add water just to cover. Simmer on low until meat is completely tender (another 30-40 minutes).

Tip: Cabbage acidity can slow meat softening, hence the pre-cooking.
6 ✓

Before serving, mix sour cream with a ladle of hot juice (tempering), then pour back into the pot. Bring to a brief boil.

Tip: If you pour cold sour cream into hot food, proteins curdle and it gets grainy. Tempering ensures a smooth, creamy emulsion.

Recipe FAQ

Why did the meat stay tough?
You likely didn't give it enough time. Pork shoulder needs at least 90 minutes on low heat for fibers to soften.
It became too sour, what to do?
Rinse the sauerkraut before cooking, or add a little sugar or more sour cream at the end to balance.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Sauerkraut (drained)
  • 1 lb Pork Shoulder or Butt (cut into 1-inch cubes)
  • 1 head Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 heaping tbsp Sweet Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Salt (carefully!)
  • 1 tsp Whole Caraway Seeds
  • 1 1/4 cups Sour Cream
  • 2 tbsp Lard or Oil
  • 2 leaves Bay Leaf