Pork Paprikash (Sertéspaprikás)

Ingredients

• 1⅛ lbporkshoulder or leg, cut into cubes
• 2onionfinely diced, sweated as the base
• 1 tbspPaprika powderstir in off the heat
• 2bell peppercut into strips
• 2tomatoin wedges, stewed along
• ⅔ cupsour creamto finish the sauce
• 1 tbspflourfor thickening, mixed with sour cream or fat
• 2 tbsplardfor frying, vegetable oil as substitute
• 2 clovesgarlicfinely chopped
• 1½ cupsStockfor deglazing, water as substitute
• saltto taste
• black pepperground, to taste
• parsleyfreshly chopped, for sprinkling
• Dillfreshly chopped, for sprinkling (optional)
• 1carrotcoarsely grated, fried with the onion (optional)
• 1 tbsptomato pasteinstead of fresh tomatoes (optional)
• 1 tspcarawayground, added to the meat (optional)
• 1bay leafstewed along (optional)
• Allspiceground, for seasoning (optional)

Method

1. Cut the pork shoulder or leg into medium cubes. Finely dice the onions, slice the bell peppers into strips, cut the tomatoes into wedges and finely chop the garlic.
2. Heat the lard (or vegetable oil) in a heavy pot and sweat the diced onion until translucent and lightly golden. If you like, fry the coarsely grated carrot alongside it.
3. Add the pork cubes and brown them well on all sides, then season with salt and pepper. This is also the moment for ground caraway and allspice, if you're using them.
4. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the sweet paprika powder until the meat is coated all over — off the heat it keeps its aroma and won't turn bitter.
5. Add the garlic, pepper strips and tomato wedges (or the tomato paste), pour in the stock or water, and tuck in a bay leaf if you like.
6. Cover and let everything stew over low heat for 25 to 45 minutes, until the meat is tender. Stir now and then and top up with a little liquid if it gets dry.
7. Whisk the flour smooth with the sour cream (or cold milk), stir in a few spoonfuls of the hot cooking liquid, then work the mixture into the pot little by little.
8. Let it bubble gently for another 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf, if used, then taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
9. Scatter over freshly chopped parsley, and dill if you like, and serve with flour dumplings, boiled potatoes, rice, pasta or bread dumplings.

Tips and variations

Instead of fresh tomatoes you can stew a spoonful of tomato paste along with bay leaf and allspice; for a bolder flavour, season with ground caraway and garlic. The sauce can also be thickened with a pale roux of lard and flour — or skip stirring the sour cream in altogether and spoon it onto each plate instead. Another nice variation: cook the pork slowly in one piece, then slice it and pour the sauce over. It's most Hungarian of all with homemade flour dumplings — a batter of flour, egg and water pressed through a spätzle sieve into boiling water.