By András Hernádi, Executive Chef, Hungarian Consulate General, New York
 

The name of the dish is not derived from the Székler, a Hungarian ethnic group in Transylvania, not is it a goulash. Instead, in 1846, a county archivist by the name of József Székely is supposed to have dropped into his local inn in Budapest, the “Arany Ökör” just before closing time, and found there was nothing to eat in the kitchen except a little pörkölt and cooked sauerkraut. At his request, the leftovers were heated up together. He was so delighted with the “dish” that henceforth he and his friends often ordered cabbage “á la Székely”. The poet, Sándor Petőfi, is supposed to have finally christened it Székelygulyás.

Ingredients:

1^1/4 lbs or 600 g pork (leg or shoulder)
5oz or 150 g bacon
1 large onion
1 heaped tsp sweet paprika
2 1/4 lbs or 1 kg sauerkraut
3 tbsp flour
1 cup or 250 ml sour cream
“Coxcombs” made from slices of bacon to garnish

Preparation:

Dice the pork into ¾ inch or 2 cm pieces. Dice the bacon finely. Sauté the bacon in a skillet, without any oil, until crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet, reserving the juices. Sauté the finely diced onion in the bacon juices, then take the skillet off the heat and add the paprika and pork. Put the skillet on the heat again, then cover and sauté the meat for 30 minutes. Rinse the sauerkraut under cold, running water. Drain and add it to the skillet. Add enough water to just cover the sauerkraut and meat. Bring to the boil and simmer until the meat is tender. The liquid should not boil dry. Slake the flour with a splash of water, and blend to a smooth paste.  Stir in ¾ cup or 200 ml sour cream. Thicken the juices with the flour and cream mixture. Arrange the pork and cabbage on a warmed serving dish. Pour the remaining sour cream over the cabbage, and garnish with “coxcombs”. If you use smoked meat, or a spicy sausage like Debrecen, it will have a stronger flavor. Because smoked meat is salty, and quite tough, it should be soaked beforehand, and then parboiled. Add the sausage or smoked meat to the cabbage at the same time as the water.

Editor’s Note: When Barbara made this dish we discovered that it is much more flavorful if the pork is salted and peppered prior to cooking it. Perhaps the bacon we used was not as salty, as the one that chef Hernádi used in his recipe. Nevertheless, we enjoyed this dish tremendously.

© January 2010 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.