Hungarian sauerkraut-and-pork goulash with sour cream and caraway — the warming winter classic of southeastern Hungary.
Székelygulyás — also called Szegedin goulash — is the sauerkraut sister of Hungary's classic beef gulyás. Pork shoulder is slow-cooked with mountains of onion, sweet Hungarian paprika, caraway, and bay until tender, then finished with rinsed sauerkraut and a generous swirl of sour cream that gives the stew its signature pale-pink color. The result is rich, tangy, slightly smoky, and warming — exactly what a Hungarian winter calls for. Despite the 'Székely' name (which means Transylvanian Hungarian), the dish was popularized by Pest writer József Székely in the 1840s, who supposedly invented it from leftovers at a tavern. Served with crusty rye bread or buttered nokedli.
Serves 6
Heat lard in a heavy pot over medium-high. Brown pork cubes in batches until deeply golden, 8 minutes per batch. Set aside.
Lower heat to medium-low. Add chopped onions with a pinch of salt. Cook 18 minutes, stirring often, until very soft, golden, and slightly jammy. This is the heart of the dish — do not rush.
Pull the pot off the heat. Sprinkle in sweet paprika (and hot if using), caraway, and garlic. Stir vigorously — paprika should sizzle and turn deep red but not scorch.
Return to the heat. Stir in tomato paste, cook 2 minutes. Return browned pork and any juices. Add bay leaves, salt, pepper, and water/stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender. Add a splash of water if the pan looks dry.
Stir in the rinsed sauerkraut. Simmer 20 more minutes, uncovered, until the kraut has softened and absorbed flavor. Taste; adjust salt and paprika.
Whisk sour cream with flour in a small bowl. Temper by whisking in 3 tbsp of the hot stew, then 3 more. This prevents the cream from breaking when it hits the pot.
Stir the tempered sour cream into the stew. Warm gently for 2 minutes — do not boil. Sprinkle with dill. Serve in deep bowls with rye bread or nokedli, with extra sour cream on the side for those who want it.
Bloom paprika OFF the heat or it turns bitter — non-negotiable.
Rinse the sauerkraut once to soften the sour edge; don't rinse twice or you wash out the character.
Make a day ahead — the stew is markedly better on day 2.
Use smoked pork shoulder for a smokier, more Slovakian-style version.
Add a handful of cooked white beans for a hearty heartiness — common in Burgenland.
Replace pork with venison shoulder in autumn — extraordinary.
Refrigerate up to 4 days; freezes 2 months. Reheat gently; never boil hard after the sour cream is in (it splits).
First documented by Pest writer József Székely in the 1840s, who supposedly improvised the dish at Hotel Hét Választófejedelem from leftover gulyás and a jar of sauerkraut. The name caused 150 years of confusion with the Székely Hungarians of Transylvania, who don't actually claim it.
Yes — though beef + sauerkraut is more Slovak than Hungarian. Use chuck and increase the braise time to 2.5 hours.
Yes — Spanish and Bulgarian paprika behave differently and lack the floral edge. Édesnemes is the standard; Csípős is the hot version.
Per serving (420g) · 6 servings total
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