Segedínský Guláš (Pork & Sauerkraut Stew)
Tender chunks of pork in a tangy gravy of paprika, beef broth, sauerkraut, and sour cream. This comforting stew is full of bold flavors. Segedínský guláš is one of the traditional Hungarian goulashes where it is called Székelykáposzta or Szegedin Goulash.
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This recipe comes from my Slovak mother-in-law. This stew is very popular in Czech and Slovak cuisine and is a part of their culinary heritage.
This slow-cooked pork stew features bacon, beef bone broth, sauerkraut, and a blend of sweet ground paprika and caraway seeds for added flavor. To achieve a creamy texture, it’s finished with sour cream.
The ingredients are simple and complementary, but the flavors are bold without being overwhelming.
Typically, Segedinsky gulas is served with bread dumplings called Knedlíky but I prefer it with simple sourdough bread.
If you love this, try more of my European sauerkraut recipes, like my similar-tasting German sauerkraut soup made with meatballs. Or my Istrian jota soup.
And if you love cabbage in general, check out my authentic German Rotkohl (braised red cabbage) and red cabbage soup with bacon recipes.
Ingredient Notes, Variations, & Substitutions
The authentic ingredients you need to make Segedínský guláš, along with any notes and substitutions to make it just right. The exact quantities are below in the printable recipe card.
- Pork Shoulder | Cut into bite-sized pieces. Pork shoulder is the best cut of meat for this stew and requires a long cooking time to become tender. Do not substitute it with lean pork as it will not tase the same.
- Bacon | Look for European chunks of bacon and dice it yourself; strips are fine if you don’t have access to that.
- Beef Broth | Pork shoulder is so full of collagen that you can use water and bouillon cubes if you must. I’ve done it both ways, and both ways are delicious. You can also use vegetable, turkey, chicken, or chicken feet bone broth.
- Sauerkraut | Drained but not rinsed. Look for plain varieties or use homemade. Canned is fine. You want European-style sauerkraut that is finely and thinly diced, and your local Euro delicatessen will absolutely carry several varieties. You can also make your own homemade sauerkraut.
- Onions | I prefer yellow.
- Fresh Garlic | Finely minced.
- Lard | You can also use tallow or your own oil or fat of choice.
- Caraway Seeds | Crushed. Optional. If your sauerkraut has these added — omit this.
- Sweet Paprika | Find a high-quality Hungarian sweet paprika if possible, the taste difference is noticeable. I have also made this goulash with hot and smoked varieties, and the result is delicious.
- Flour | all-purpose or gluten-free; you can omit it entirely if you wish, but it will help thicken the gravy.
- Sour Cream | Full fat is best. This is stirred in right at the end of cooking.
- Salt & Pepper | Remember that sauerkraut and bacon are salty. The broth may not require any additional salt, so do not put any until the end when the sauerkraut is added to simmer.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step-by-step instructions with photos. Reference this if you want to know what you’re doing looks as it should.
Step 1: Prep your vegetables and meat. Have everything diced and chopped and ready for cooking. Sprinkle the pork with a tiny pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Step 2: In a heavy-bottomed pot, add the diced bacon and render; it takes about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set it aside. Do not drain the fat in the pot.
Step 3: Add the lard into the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and add the pork in batches. Do not crowd the pan. Brown the pork on all sides with a nice sear. Remove the pork from the pot and set it aside with the bacon.
Step 4: To the same pot, add the onions and sauté them until they begin to turn a golden color. Add the crushed caraway seeds and minced garlic. Stir continuously for 60 seconds until fragrant. Add the flour and stir for 30 seconds.
Step 5: Add the pork back in and stir, coating it in the sauce that is forming.
Step 6: Add the beef broth and the paprika. The pork should mostly be covered with liquid, with some meat peeking at the top. Add water or more stock if there is not enough liquid. Turn the heat up to high. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 7: After the 45 minutes, add the bacon and sauerkraut. Cover and simmer again for 200 minutes more. After the time is up, uncover the pot. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly. Pierce a chunk of pork with a fork or knife; is it tender? If not, keep simmering, uncovered until it is falling apart.
You can also reduce it to your desired level of thickness. It can look like my photos here with a more liquid stew consistency or even thicker, where the liquid is vastly more reduced.
Step 8: Now, temper the sour cream. Put the sour cream into a bowl and ladle hot broth very slowly into the bowl, stirring constantly with a fork.
Add this hot-broth-sour-cream mixture back into the pot and simmer until the broth thickens to your liking.
My photos show a thinner, more stew-like goulash, but it can thicken up and become a very rich gravy too. Try it both ways.
Serve with bread or bread dumplings, and enjoy.
Hint: The canned sauerkraut is perfectly fine to use in this recipe. There is no need to buy the expensive raw stuff since it will cooked anyway. If your sauerkraut has caraway seeds — do not add extra.
Substitutions & Variations
- I have made this stew with multiple bone broths and even water with a stock cube. Homemade beef bone broth remains my favorite.
- If you find the sauerkraut overpowering, rinse it briefly in cold water and drain before adding to the pot.
- Do not make this with beef. This is a pork recipe.
- I have found this recipe in old Chezchoslovakian cookbooks where potatoes were added. They would make a lovely addition!
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
Segedínský guláš will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator and should be stored in a covered container. Reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat, and add a splash of water or stock to the pot if necessary.
It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, and then gently reheat it.
Be very gentle when reheating and do not stir more than necessary.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup bacon diced small
- 4 large yellow onions
- 1 ½ cups sauerkraut plain, drained but not rinsed
- 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons lard or oil/fat of choice
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds crushed roughly
- 1 ½ tablespoons sweet paprika quality matters here
- ¼ cup flour all-purpose or gluten-free
- 1 quart beef bone broth
- 1 cup sour cream full fat, ccan be doubled as well if you prefer
- salt & pepper to taste sauerkraut and bacon is salty, so do not add any until towards the end of cooking
Instructions
- Prep your vegetables and meat. Have everything diced and chopped and ready for cooking. Sprinkle the pork with a tiny pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Have a large bowl beside the stove for the seared pork and bacon.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, add the diced bacon and render; it takes about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set it aside. Do not drain the fat in the pot.
- Add the lard into the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and add the pork in batches. Do not crowd the pan. Brown the pork on all sides with a nice sear. Remove the pork from the pot and set it aside with the bacon.
- To the same pot, add the onions and sauté them until they turn translucent.
- Add the crushed caraway seeds and minced garlic. Stir continuously for 60 seconds until fragrant. Add the flour and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the pork back in and the paprika. Add the beef broth. Add water or more stock if there is not enough liquid. It is okay if some of the pork is peeking out at the top.
- Turn the heat up to high. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- After the 45 minutes, add the bacon and sauerkraut. Cover and simmer again for 20 minutes more. After the time is up, uncover the pot. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly. Pierce a chunk of pork with a fork or knife; is it tender? If not, keep simmering, uncovered until it is falling apart. Check every 15 minutes.
- Once done, remove the pot from the heat and taste for salt again; let it sit for 3-5 minutes before stirring in the sour cream slowly, one big spoon at a time, as you stir continuously to avoid breaking it.
- Now, temper the sour cream: put the sour cream into a bowl and ladle hot broth very slowly into the bowl, stirring constantly with a fork. Add this hot-broth-sour-cream mixture back into the pot and simmer until the broth thickens to your liking. My photos show a thinner, more stew-like goulash, but it can thicken up and become a very rich gravy too. Try it both ways!
- Serve with bread or bread dumplings, and enjoy.
Notes
- I have made this stew with multiple bone broths and even water with a stock cube. Homemade beef bone broth remains my favorite.
- If you find the sauerkraut overpowering, rinse it briefly in cold water and drain before adding to the pot.
- Do not make this with stewing beef. This is a pork recipe. If you want a similar recipe that can be made with beef, make my sauerkraut soup and use all beef or veal for the meatballs.
- Pork Shoulder | Cut into bite-sized pieces. Pork shoulder is the best cut of meat for this stew and requires a long cooking time to become tender. Do not substitute it with lean pork as it will not tase the same.
- Bacon | Look for European chunks of bacon and dice it yourself; strips are fine if you don’t have access to that.
- Beef Broth | Pork shoulder is so full of collagen that you can use water and bouillon cubes if you must. I’ve done it both ways, and both ways are delicious. You can also use vegetable, turkey, chicken, or chicken feet bone broth.
- Sauerkraut | Drained but not rinsed. Look for plain varieties or use homemade. Canned is fine. You want European-style sauerkraut that is finely and thinly diced, and your local Euro delicatessen will absolutely carry several varieties.
- Onions | I prefer yellow.
- Fresh Garlic | Finely minced.
- Lard | You can also use tallow or your own oil or fat of choice.
- Caraway Seeds | Crushed. Optional. If your sauerkraut has these added — omit this.
- Sweet Paprika | Find a high-quality Hungarian sweet paprika if possible, the taste difference is noticeable. I have also made this goulash with hot and smoked varieties, and the result is delicious.
- Flour | all-purpose or gluten-free; you can omit it entirely if you wish, but it will help thicken the gravy.
- Sour Cream | Full fat is best. This is stirred in right at the end of cooking.
- Salt & Pepper | Remember that sauerkraut and bacon are salty. The broth may not require any additional salt, so do not put any until the end when the sauerkraut is added to simmer.