Recipe: Pork Goulash

Many attempts have been made over this dish but i think i've finally perfected it! Goulash is a wonderfully warming European treat- originally Hungarian but very popular in the colder countries of Eastern Europe. Me and Nick had some fantastic goulashes when we went to Prague last year and i've been trying to pinpoint a good recipe of it ever since. It's warming, it's meaty, but its also got a strong tomato flavour, as well as the most important element- the sweet fragrant taste you get from carraway seeds. I would say that without carraway seeds you can't make a traditional goulash, it's what sets it apart from different stews and casseroles. This dish is also very nice made with beef, but pork is the more traditionally used meat.

Pork Goulash (serves 3-4)

2 tbsp olive oil
450g diced pork leg, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
400g diced fresh tomatoes
1 red pepper, diced
2 large carrots, diced
500ml beef stock
1 tsp marmite
10g caraway seeds
3g cumin seeds
¼ tsp hot smoked paprika
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp sugar
1 rounded tsp cornflour, mixed with a little water.
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley and soured cream for garnish

1. Toast the cumin and caraway seeds in a hot pan until smoking and browned (not burnt!), and blend in a spice or coffee grinder until fairly fine. Set aside.
2. Fry the diced pork in the olive oil in a large saucepan until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the red onion and garlic and fry for a further five minutes.
3. Preheat the (fan) oven to 180C. Add all the other ingredients (including the reserved ground spices) to the pork and cook on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into a large casserole dish, cover, and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove, add cornflour, stir in, and cook for a further hour.
4. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley, and serve with some soured cream and some chunks of crusty bread or a big pile of creamy mashed potato!