Warm and Comforting Transylvanian Goulash

Pork and Sauerkraut Stew

Transylvanian Goulash, aka Pork and Sauerkraut Stew is a delicious dish. The pork is oven-braised with vegetables and plenty of paprika for rich color and flavor. The pork is fork tender, and the sauerkraut is mild and lovely in this dish (believe me, I normally don’t like sauerkraut). I served this atop creamy mashed potatoes for a hearty and comforting meal.

There are lots of different goulash recipes in this world. This particular one is a riff of a more traditional Hungarian Goulash. The difference with this recipe is that marbled pork shoulder is used, instead of beef, and addition of sauerkraut. The final finish is a garnish of sour cream and fresh dill.

I have been a long time fan and subscriber of Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country Magazines and Cookbooks. I record their shows on a regular basis, and my husband enjoys watching episodes with me. Together, we recently watched the episode where this Transylvanian Goulash recipe was made. My husband asked me to make it, so that’s exactly what I did!

I have actually visited Transylvanian, many decades ago. I could taste some similarities to some of my mother’s Bavarian and Austrian recipes– especially paprika and sauerkraut. There’s a very distinct difference, though, between my heirloom Austrian Goulash recipe and this Transylvanian Goulash recipe.

I bought a boneless pork shoulder “butt”, instead of beef. Other vital ingredients are onion, tomato, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, fresh dill and sauerkraut.

You’ll want to cut the pork into, roughly, 1-1/2 inch chunks, season it with salt and pepper. Make sure you pat the pork really dry, so you can get a good sear (this really develops flavor). In a Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil, and add the pork in batches (don’t crowd the meat, or it will steam). Set the pork aside.

I’ve chopped all of my veggies, and the third batch of seared pork has been removed. Add the veggies and some salt and cook until softened– and any liquid has evaporated.

Last, but not least, add the generous amount of sweet paprika, garlic and caraway seeds. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add water (don’t add chicken nor beef broth, as it will detract from the aromatics). Scrape any “fond” (browned bits from searing the pork).

Return the seared pork into the liquid, cover the Dutch oven and cook for an hour in a preheated 325F oven.

Remove the Dutch Oven and add the rinsed sauerkraut. Return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.

I did cook for an additional hour, based on reviews that I read. It was time to eat. My husband was sniffing the air, and so looking forward to dinner.

TASTING NOTES: The aroma is intoxicating, to say the least. The pork was fork tender. While I’m not the biggest of fan of sauerkraut (by itself), in this stew the taste is mild and adds a lovely texture to this stew. The sweet paprika was perfection and not overdone. The bell peppers added a background flavor, without being overpowering. The same goes for the caraway seeds. I chose to serve this over creamy mashed potatoes. What’s interesting is that I already posted a Pork and Sauerkraut Stew recipe on my blog. They are slightly similar, but this one was my husband’s favorite. This would freeze beautifully. However, we enjoyed this over a few days.

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5 from 4 votes

Transylvanian Goulash

There are lots of different goulash recipes in this world. This particular one is a riff of a more traditional Hungarian Goulash. The difference with this recipe is that marbled pork shoulder is used, instead of beef. The pork is oven-braised with vegetables and plenty of paprika for rich color and flavor. The final finish is sauerkraut and a garnish of sour cream and fresh dill. The pork is fork tender, and the sauerkraut is mild and lovely in this dish (believe me, I normally don't like sauerkraut). I served this atop creamy mashed potatoes for a hearty and comforting meal.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Course: main

Cuisine: Hungarian

Keyword: Transylvanian Goulash

Servings: 8

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 1 3 1/2-pound boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion chopped fine
• 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
• 2 celery ribs chopped fine
• 1 plum tomato chopped
• 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups sauerkraut rinsed and drained
• Sour cream garnish
• minced fresh dill garnish

Instructions

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

  Pat pork dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
• Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking.

  Add half of pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes; transfer to bowl. (Reduce heat if bottom of pot begins to scorch.) Repeat with remaining pork.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, tomato, and ½ teaspoon salt to now-empty pot and cook until vegetables are softened and liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
• Add paprika, caraway seeds, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  Stir in water and pork and any accumulated juices and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook for 1 hour.

  Stir in sauerkraut, cover, return pot to oven, and continue to cook until pork is fully tender, about 30 minutes longer.
• Using wide spoon, skim off any surface fat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnished with sour cream and dill.

Notes

BEFORE YOU  BEGIN: Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. Since paprika is vital to the success of this recipe, it is best to use a fresh bottle. Do not substitute hot or smoked Spanish paprika for the sweet paprika called for here. Eden Organic jarred sauerkraut is the test kitchen’s favorite sauerkraut. Rinsing the sauerkraut reduces its sharp flavor and bite; if you prefer sharper sauerkraut flavor, omit this step. Serve with white rice, if desired.

Recipe source: Cooks Country Magazine December / January 2017 issue.

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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