Pork goulash is not just a delicious and satisfying dish, it’s a true culinary classic, loved by many generations. Succulent meat, stewed in a flavorful gravy, pairs perfectly with any side dish – from mashed potatoes to rice and buckwheat.
The history of goulash dates back to Hungarian cuisine, where this dish was originally made from beef. However, over time, goulash became popular in many countries, and each of them brought its unique features to the recipe. In Ukrainian cuisine, pork goulash became widespread due to its simplicity and availability of ingredients.
Today, there are many variations of pork goulash – from simple and quick recipes to more complex ones that require certain culinary skills. We offer you a classic recipe that will be an excellent basis for your culinary experiments.
Secrets to Making Perfect Goulash
- Meat selection: pork shoulder or neck is best suited for goulash. These parts have enough fat and become especially soft and juicy when stewed.
- Proper cutting: the meat must be cut into small pieces, about 2-3 cm. Too small pieces can dry out, and too large ones will take longer to stew.
- Frying: before stewing, the meat must be fried over high heat until a golden crust forms. This will give the goulash a special taste and aroma.
- Gravy: thick and flavorful gravy is half the success of goulash. Onions, carrots, tomato paste, flour, and spices are used to prepare it.
- Stewing: goulash is stewed over low heat for a long time – from 1 to 2 hours. During this time, the meat becomes soft and tender, and the gravy becomes rich and thick.
Classic Pork Goulash Recipe
Ingredients:
- 800 g pork (shoulder or neck)
- 2 onions
- 1 carrot
- 1.5 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1.5 tbsp. flour
- 40 g butter
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 0.5 tsp. black ground pepper
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 800 ml water or broth
Preparation:
- Rinse the meat, dry it, and cut it into small pieces.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet and fry the meat over high heat until a golden crust forms.
- Finely chop the onion, grate the carrot on a coarse grater.
- Fry the onion in vegetable oil until golden brown, add the carrot and tomato paste, fry lightly.
- Add the fried vegetables to the meat, pour in hot water or broth, add sugar, salt, paprika, bay leaf, and pepper.
- Cover the skillet with a lid, bring to a boil, and simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours, until the meat becomes soft.
- Melt the butter in a heated skillet, add the flour, and fry until golden brown, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
- Pour in 100 ml of water or broth, mix thoroughly, and add the resulting mixture to the meat with vegetables.
- Simmer the goulash for another 30 minutes, until the gravy thickens.
Serving:
Serve the finished pork goulash hot with a side dish of your choice. This can be mashed potatoes, rice, buckwheat, pasta, or stewed vegetables. The dish can be garnished with fresh herbs.
Enjoy your meal!
