Pork pörkölt

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg of pork (shoulder, nut, etc.) streaky doesn’t matter
• 4 large onions
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 tbsp oil, neutral, or clarified butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ tsp marjoram
• ½ tsp thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• 1 pinch(s) of chili flakes or paprika powder, hot
• ¼ lemon(s), zest
• n. B. Salt
• n. B. Pepper from the mill
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp vegetable broth, instant
• possibly butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 40 minutes

Pork goulash according to a recipe from Hungary, a delicious creamy sauce without any binding – here the long braising time makes the difference

The meat should be at room temperature. Grind all the spices, except the bay leaves, salt, pepper, and sugar, in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic on a board with the back of a knife and add a small knob of butter. This will hold the other spices and prevent them from jumping off the board, so you can chop them very finely and grate them with the back of a knife. Set aside. Dice the peppers and onions. Cut the meat into large cubes, not too finely. Heat a large pot; when it’s hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil/lard. When this is also very hot, pour in the meat from the bowl and do nothing for a while—just let it sit in a pile. After a minute or two, spread it out as much as possible on the bottom of the pot and wait until it comes loose on its own and no longer sticks. Stir and cook a little more. The meat shouldn’t be cooked through, just slightly brown on the outside. A few raw pieces won’t hurt; they’ll cook through later. Remove from the pot and season well with pepper and salt – enough that you’d think it was already too much. In the same pot, fry the onions and bell peppers, stir in the second tablespoon of oil. When the mixture starts to turn golden, briefly fry the tomato paste and sugar, then return the meat and its juices to the pot. Fry for a while longer with the spice mix, then add enough water to just cover the meat. Stir in the vegetable stock. Bring everything back to a boil, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for at least 3 hours; any longer won’t do any harm. Stir occasionally – but it’s not necessary. Season again with salt and pepper – and you’re done. It tastes delicious if you put a dollop of sour cream on top of the pörkölt when serving. We like to eat it with tagliatelle or potatoes.