Einseidler, thanks for an inspiring thread. I have made a traditional Transylvanian Goulash -- Székely Gulyás -- using this recipe, taken from the Hungarian chapter of "Cooking of Vienna's Empire," Time-Life Foods of the World series. It is a real crowd pleaser -- I mean be prepared for food rioting, seriously. Serve it over fresh-made spätzle if you really want to wow the crowd. I'll bet it would be enhanced by using fresh feral pork.
To serve 4 to 6:
1 pound sauerkraut, fresh, canned or packaged
2 tablespoons lard
1 cup finely-chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
3 cups chicken stock or water
2 pounds boneless shoulder of pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
1.5 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/4 cup tomato puree
Salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons flour
Wash the sauerkraut thoroughly under cold running water, then soak it in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce its sourness. Melt the lard in a 5-quart casserole and add the onions. Cook them over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they are lightly colored, then add the garlic and cook a minute or 2 longer. Off the heat, stir in the paprika, continuing to stir until the onions are well coated. Pour in ½ cup of the stock or water and bring it to a boil, then add the pork cubes.
Now spread the sauerkraut over the pork and sprinkle it with the caraway seeds. In a small bowl, combine the tomato puree and the rest of the stock or water, and pour the mixture over the sauerkraut. Bring the liquid to a boil once more, then reduce the heat to its lowest point, cover the casserole tightly and simmer for 1 hour. Check every now and then to make sure the liquid has not cooked away. Add a little stock or water if it has; the sauerkraut should be moist.
When the pork is tender, combine the sour cream and heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Beat the flour into the cream with a wire whisk, then carefully stir this mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning. Serve "Transylvanian goulash" in deep individual plates, accompanied by a bowl of sour cream.
