I love the cooking of Eastern Europe and this delicious Hungarian stew is an example of why the region's food has survived food fads and remained so popular. This moist pork stew is redolent with the flavors of onions and paprika and made more interesting with the addition of caraway seeds, which give it a unique culinary identity. Its thick, rich red gravy is wonderful with buttered noodles, and it brings warmth and color to fall and winter table. There is nothing light about this dish. It is a belt buster. Goulash is a simple stew that was originally a soup made with a combination of meats. Nowadays, it is generally thickened and made with beef, but I like this recipe because it uses pork, which I find is quicker cooking and less stringy than its beef counterpart. This version of the dish, developed for Family Circle magazine, is straightforward and you can have this on the table in less than 90 minutes. That's not bad for a stew. I know that those of you who try this recipe will enjoy it. You'll find a small amount of effort produces a dish with great flavor that will not disappoint. Dies ist gut. Here's how the goulash is made.

Pork Goulash

Ingredients:

3 pounds pork roast, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika, divided use

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided use

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use

1 medium onion, chopped

1 sweet red pepper, cored and diced

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Chopped fresh parsley

Cooked egg noodles (optional)

Directions:

1) Combine pork, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of pork cubes to pot and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; repeat with remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons oil and the rest of pork.

2) Reduce heat to medium and add onion. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in sweet red pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon each of flour and paprika. Cook 1 minute. Stir in vinegar; let simmer. Sprinkle with caraway seeds, then pour in tomatoes and broth, scraping up any brown bits from pan. Return pork to mixture. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Stir in tomato paste and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over egg noodles, if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

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