Transylvanian Goulash Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the lard in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the paprika and 1/2 cup of the stock and bring to a boil. Add the pork and simmer, covered, 1 hour.
• Add the sauerkraut, caraway seeds, tomato juice and remaining stock to the pot. Return it to a simmer, cover and cook for another hour, or until meat is very tender.
• Whisk the flour and sour cream together and carefully stir into the pot. Simmer 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Steps:

• Wash sauerkraut under cold running water then soak in cold water for 20 minutes to reduce sourness. Strain well, pressing out excess water. Note: I am a big fan of searing meat, because I think it gives sauces a deeper flavor. While the original recipe didn't say to do this-- I plan to sear the pork in some olive oil and then to continue with cooking the onion and garlic and carrying on with the rest of the steps. Melt butter in a 5-quart casserole; add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and cook a minute or two longer. Stir in paprika, pour in 1/2 cup of broth and bring to boil. Add the pork cubes. Spread sauerkraut over pork sprinkle with caraway seeds. Combine tomato puree, tomato paste and reserved broth, in a small bowl. Mix well and pour over sauerkraut. Bring to a boil. If using a crock-pot, transfer contents of casserole to crock-pot insert. Cover, and cook on high, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until pork is fork tender but still retains its shape. If using a conventional oven, preheat to 250°F. Cover casserole and transfer to the oven. Cook, covered, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until pork cubes are tender but still retain their shape. When the pork is tender, transfer meat and sauerkraut to a serving platter with high sides. Tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer the sauce to a 2-quart pan. Set over medium heat. Combine flour, heavy cream and sour cream in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Stir mixture into sauce and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Do not boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over meat and serve. Pass additional sour cream as a side. Note: I added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to this recipe, which we thought gave the sauce deep depth of flavor. We also served this over creamy mashed potatoes. This freezes really well.

Steps:

• Wash the sauerkraut under cold running water then soak in cold water for 20 minutes to reduce its sourness. Strain well, pressing out all the water.
• Melt the butter in a 5-quart casserole and add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until lightly coloured, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the garlic, season with salt and cook a minute or two longer.
• Stir in the paprika, pour in 1/2 cup of broth and bring to boil.
• Add the pork cubes.
• Spread the sauerkraut over the pork and sprinkle with carraway seeds.
• In a small bowl combine the tomato puree and the rest of the broth and pour the mixture over the sauerkraut.
• Bring the liquid to a boil once more, then reduce heat to its lowest point. Season with a pinch of salt, cover casserole and simmer for 1 hour.
• Check occasionally to make sure that the liquid has not cooked away. Add a little stock or water if required.
• When the pork is tender, combine the creams in a mixing bowl and beat the flour into the cream with a whisk. Carefully stir the mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 10 minutes longer and season with salt to taste.
• Serve in large wide bowls accompanied by a side of sour cream.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan at a medium heat.
• Add garlic and cook for several minutes.
• Add the chicken and pork and cook (stirring frequently) for 5 minutes.
• Add the paprika, pepper, salt and onion powder and stir.
• Add the onion, green onion and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the mushroom soup and stir until a smooth sauce is formed.
• Add the sauerkaut, stir until mixed.
• Add the chicken broth and stir until integrated.
• Cover and turn down the heat to minimum and simmer for 2 hours.
• If the sauce is too runny when you want to serve, mix several tablespoons of cornstarch with enough water to form a thin paste (1-3 times the amount of water as cornstarch).
• Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat and add the paste, by teaspoonfuls, stirring vigorously until the desired thickness.
• Serve hot over gnocchi or egg noodles.

Steps:

• Wash the sauerkraut thoroughly under cold running water, then soak it in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce its sourness. Strain well, pressing out all the water.
• Melt the butter in a 5-quart casserole and add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and cook a minute or two longer. Stir in the paprika, pour in 1/2 cup of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the pork cubes.
• Spread the sauerkraut over the pork and sprinkle it with the caraway seeds. In a small bowl, combine the tomato purée and the rest of the broth and pour the mixture over the sauerkraut. Bring the liquid to a boil once more, then reduce the heat to its lowest point. Season the cooking liquid with a pinch of salt, cover the casserole tightly and simmer for 1 hour. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid has not cooked away. Add a little stock or water if needed; the sauerkraut should be moist.
• When the pork is tender, combine the creams in a mixing bowl. Beat the flour into the creams with a whisk, then carefully stir this mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste. Serve in large, wide bowls, accompanied by a side of sour cream.

Steps:

• Season the beef with salt. Cut the onions in half, then slice from top to tail (julienne). Take a heavy saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of oil and put it on the cooker. When hot, add the beef chunks and shuffle them around. After a minute or two, add the onion and keep stirring until beef has browned. Add the smoked paprika, enough water to cover the meat 2/3 of the way and 1 stock cube. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the beef chunks, stirring more often in the first 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, chop the carrots, celery, garlic and pepper as fine or as roughly as you prefer. Add them to the saucepan after the 45 minutes have past, with the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Keep cooking for another 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, peel and dice the potatoes (bite size). Add them to the pot after the 15 minutes have past, add the second stock cube and enough water to cover everything in the pot 2/3 of the way and cook until the potatoes start crumbling.
• Serve with chopped fresh parsley, some crusty bread to mop the sauce and some fresh chili, like 'Hungary' people do! :) Enjoy!

Steps:

• Peel and chop onions. In large cooking pot place diced bacon and oil. Sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently until onion is light golden.
• Take cooking pot off heat, add paprika and mix well. Place cubed pork on paprika/onion mixture and turn pieces around to coat well. Cook over low heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously, making sure that paprika does not burn.
• Add salt, pepper, and caraway and mix well. Immediately after, add enough water to cover meat. Cover pot and simmer meat for 45 minutes. While meat is cooking, wash out sauerkraut under cold running water. Squeeze dry and set aside (not necessary if sauerkraut is not too sour) Add sauerkraut to meat and cook together until meat is done, about 15 minutes longer. Before serving, add sliced sausage and sour cream. Gently stir into gulyas and cook on low heat for another 2-3 minutes. Serve at once but this dish is better when prepared a day ahead. Sour cream should only be added before serving.