90 MINSMAINSPORKOVERNIGHT

Segedínsky Guláš

Tender pork shoulder slow-braised with sour cabbage, onions, sweet paprika, caraway, and finished with sour cream.

YIELD6 Portions (~2 kg Total Yield)
PREP25 mins
COOK75 mins

Ingredients

Pork & Stew Base

  • 800 g Pork shoulder (bravčové pliecko) or pork neck, cut into 3 cm cubes
  • 600 g Fermented sauerkraut (kyslá kapusta), drained (reserve brine) and chopped
  • 50 g Rendered pork lard (bravčová masť)
  • 400 g Yellow onions, finely diced
  • 4 cloves Fresh garlic, grated
  • 25 g Premier sweet Hungarian/Slovak paprika
  • 4 g Whole caraway seeds (celá rasca)
  • 3 Dried bay leaves
  • 4 Whole allspice berries
  • 700 ml Rich pork or poultry bone stock (hot)
  • 8 g Fine sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Cream Finish

  • 200 ml Full-fat sour cream (kyslá smotana, min. 20% fat)
  • 100 ml Heavy whipping cream (36% fat)
  • 20 g All-Purpose (AP) flour (whisked smooth into the cream)

To Serve

Method

  1. Caramelize Onions: Melt pork lard in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, caraway seeds, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 12–15 minutes until deep golden.
  2. Sear Pork: Add grated garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Pull pot off heat, stir in sweet paprika until fragrant, then return to heat with cubed pork. Season with salt and pepper; sear for 5 minutes until meat juices release and coat in paprika oil.
  3. First Braise: Add bay leaves, allspice, and hot stock. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and simmer over low heat for 35 minutes until pork is halfway tender.
  4. Add Sauerkraut: Add chopped sauerkraut into the stew. Stir well, cover, and braise for another 25–30 minutes until both pork and cabbage are fork-tender.
  5. Temper Cream: Whisk AP flour into the sour cream and heavy cream until completely smooth. Stir in 2 ladles of hot stew broth to temper the cream mixture.
  6. Simmer & Finish: Pour tempered cream into the simmering stew, stirring constantly. Cook over gentle heat for 5 minutes until glossy and thick. Taste and balance with reserved sauerkraut brine or salt if needed. Serve hot with warm slices of steamed knedľa.
Chef's Tip: Tempering the sour cream with hot broth before adding it to the pot prevents curdling. Pairing full-fat sour cream with heavy cream delivers richness that rounds out the natural sharpness of fermented cabbage.