TRANSYLVANIAN SOUR CABBAGE GOULASH–
“SZEKELY GULYAS”
Ah, the magnificence of sour cabbage and its endless
possibilities for comfort food creation.
The amount of Vitamin C that sour cabbage contains in a serving can
fight colds and the flu for months to come.
This is an all year around kind of a comfort peasant dish that just
satisfies the senses with all its combined flavors of pork or veal, smoked
sausage, caraway seeds, sour cabbage and a dollop of sour cream to serve it
with freshly baked bread and a glass of Zinfandel…There are never any leftovers
at my house. :)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large onion – chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic – sliced
- 1 pair of Kabanosh -Polish or Hungarian- Csabai thin smoked sausage – thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons of caraway seeds
- a good large splash of olive oil
- 2 Lbs of pork loin, or veal stew cut in small cubes
- 2 Lbs of sauerkraut – washed through with water several times in a strainer under the faucet, to get the excess salt out of the cabbage
- water for cooking (about 4-5 cups)
- salt, pepper, and paprika
- sour cream to serve with
Use a nice deep dish with a lid. Splash in the olive oil with the chopped
onions, garlic and sliced sausages and cook them together for 10 minutes. Add the caraway seeds and the cubed
(pre-seasoned if you can, with garlic salt, black pepper and paprika) pork or
veal. Stir it frequently until mixed and
let the meat brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Now you can add as much water as to fully
cover it and let it cook for 45-50 minutes (less time for veal) until the meat
is tender. You need to add more water
occasionally. If you seasoned the meats
previously or even before adding it to the dish don’t use any additional salt
at this time or your final product will be too salty. If you would like to add some more paprika
for a nicer color and sweet taste, feel free!
Now you are ready to add the sauerkraut and some fresh black
pepper with an additional 2 cups of water so the whole mixture is fully covered
with water. The cooking time should take
about 30-40 minutes from now on depending on the sour cabbage’s texture.
When it’s ready you can serve it with a tablespoon of sour
cream and some fresh bread.
Healthy, nutritious and comforting.
EGESZSEGEDRE! BON
APPETITE!
I think Transylvanian cuisine does not use olive oil, but lard
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