Meat Stew with Sour Cream (Székely Gulyás)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

Method

1. 1

   Pat the pork cubes dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Heat the lard in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches, about 3 minutes per side, transferring browned pieces to a plate.

   8:00 · Brown pork
3. 3

   Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.

   8:00 · Soften onions
4. 4

   Stir in the garlic, paprika, and caraway seeds and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   1:00 · Toast spices
5. 5

   Return the browned pork to the pot along with the salt, pepper, and bay leaf, then pour in the chicken stock and stir to combine.

6. 6

   Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the pork is nearly tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

   1:15:00 · Simmer pork
7. 7

   Stir in the sauerkraut, cover, and continue simmering until the pork is fully tender and the flavors meld, about 30 minutes.

   30:00 · Simmer with sauerkraut
8. 8

   In a small bowl, whisk the flour into the sour cream until smooth.

9. 9

   Remove the bay leaf, then stir about 1 cup of the hot stew liquid into the sour cream mixture to temper it, then pour the mixture back into the pot.

10. 10

    Simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

    5:00 · Thicken sauce
11. 11

    Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed, then ladle into bowls and sprinkle with fresh dill before serving.