Pörkölt recipe or Hungarian pork stew, tender meat pieces in an aromatic onion and paprika sauce, served with nokedli. Only 4 ingredients!
Try a delicious Hungarian pork stew - pörkölt - that can be enjoyed with the Hungarian Flour Dumplings – Nokedli.
How about more pork stews, such as Sweet Potato and Pork Stew or Pork and Potato Stew?
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What is pörkölt?
Pörkölt or porkolt is another typical, authentic Hungarian stew, which is also very common in Romania, especially in Transylvania. Another dish I have been eating all my life, although my grandmother never actually called it porkolt, she would call it “tocana de porc” - pork stew or even goulash.
According to Wikipedia, there are differences between the three dishes: Porkolt, better spelled Pörkölt, is made of meat (beef, pork, lamb), onions, and paprika and does not have a lot of sauce. Goulash on the other side has more sauce, it is almost like a thick soup and also contains peppers and other vegetables.
Tokany originates in Transylvania - Romania and doesn't contain so much paprika (well, my grandma's Toscana always did have lots of paprika in it...), and it is made with different kinds of meat and normally lots of vegetables.
And when it comes to tocana, I really am an expert; I made tocana with all kinds of meat (including Romanian lamb stew and rabbit stew) and with all possible vegetables, like potatoes, eggplants in tomato sauce, Romanian pea and chicken stew and so on.
Recipe ingredients
Well, the pörkölt recipe is actually very easy and straightforward, using only a few good-quality ingredients: meat, onions, paprika, and lard.
Meat: This recipe can be made with beef or pork. However, I make it with pork most of the time because that is the way my grandmother always cooked it. You can use the neck or leg of pork cut into cubes.
Fat: When using lard, just make sure you buy the pure pork lard and not some hydrogenated stuff, which is not good for you. Pure lard is easily available here in Germany, but I am not sure how easily you will find it elsewhere.
You can use vegetable oil instead.
Spices: Good quality Hungarian sweet paprika powder (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) is very important as well; make sure you buy the best you can afford; a really cheap one just won’t do. I have had that experience myself.
How to make Hungarian pork stew?
- Step #1: Thinly slice the quartered onions and cook them until golden. Add paprika powder.
- Step #2: Add diced pork and sear it for about 5 minutes.
- Step #3: Add hot water; the meat should be barely covered in water. Add some salt and pepper.
- Step #4: Simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Add more hot water if necessary, but no more than ¼ cup/ 60 ml at a time.
Tip: After this time, check the meat; it should be very tender. The onions should be “melted” or dissolved; you should not be able to recognize their form anymore. If the meat is not perfectly tender and the onions can still be seen and felt in the mouth, continue cooking the pörkölt for another 15 minutes, then check again.
Store and reheat
The Hungarian pork stew keeps well in the fridge for at least 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop and add a splash of water if necessary.
You can also freeze the leftovers; they will keep well for at least 2-3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat properly before serving.
How to serve?
My favorite side dish for the Hungarian pörkölt is nokedli – flour dumplings. However, mashed or boiled potatoes, German Spätzle, or regular pasta are also great. Serve with sour cucumbers or other pickled vegetables on the side.
Pörkölt Recipe - Hungarian Pork Stew
Equipment
- Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork leg neck or shoulder, 1kg
- 6 medium onions
- 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika powder
- 1 cup hot water 250 ml
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Dice the meat into small cubes, about 1 cm/ 0.4 inches. Set aside.
- Cook onions: Quarter the onions and slice the quarters very thinly. Heat the lard or oil in the pan. Cook the onions until golden. Add the paprika powder and stir very well.
- Sear pork: Add the meat and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring often and making sure you sear the meat on all sides.
- Add hot water, the meat should be barely covered in water. Add some some salt and pepper as well. Stir well and cover.
- Simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring regularly and checking that the dish doesn't become too dry and catches at the bottom of the pan. Add a little bit of extra hot water when the water in the pot is gone, but not more than ¼ cup/ 60 ml at a time.
- Check: After this time check the meat, it should be very tender and the onions should be “melted” or dissolved, you should not be able to recognize their form anymore. If the meat is not perfectly tender and the onions can still be seen and felt in the mouth, continue cooking the pörkölt for another 15 minutes, then check again.
- Reduce: At this point, if you have too much liquid in the pot, remove the lid and continue cooking the pörkölt for another 5-10 minutes or until the water evaporates.
- Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and serve (Note 1).
judy potter says
Finally the recipe my uncle from Budapest used to make. So simple but so wonderful.
Adina says
Thank you, Judy.
Jutta Holden says
Can't wait to make this! Looks so good!
I have pork butt roast in freezer, is that also ok to use?
Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Adina says
Hi Jutta. I think pork butt would be fine. Enjoy!?
Jutta Holden says
Thank you so much for your quick reply!
Jutta