The post Cabbage stew with tender meat bites appeared first on Hungarian Eats.
]]>Another delicious traditionally Hungarian one-dish meal, in Hungarian: “székelykáposzta” [SAY-kay-kap-oh-stah]. This meaty cabbage stew is so easy to prepare, and it just gets better and better every time it is reheated.
Back in Budapest, if I needed some fresh pickled cabbage, I just went to the closest market, and I got the cabbage straight from the barrel. It was packed in a plastic bag, with a small amount of the pickling juice poured over it to keep the cabbage moist. If you ever have the chance to taste fresh pickled cabbage, I suggest you try it, and you will understand the difference between the fresh and the jarred one. You can read about the health benefits of sauerkraut here.
In North America it is a little bit different. You can find jars of pickled cabbage in the supermarket (check the European section), or if you’re lucky, you can find freshly pickled cabbage in a European store. Luckily I found a Hungarian butcher in Montreal a few years ago selling their own pickled cabbage from the barrel! No worries, if you do not have any special store around you selling the fresh one, get the jarred one, it works great with this recipe.
The recipe starts with preparing the pork stew, so it is actually two recipes in one. By learning how to make a divine meat stew using pork shoulders, you will also get the basics of making any Hungarian stew.
Cabbage stew with tender meat bites
Ingredients
1 kg pickled cabbage
500 g pork shoulder, cut into cubes
2 medium onions
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp canola oil, vegetable oil or fat
2 bay leaves
2 tbs red sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tomato
½ bell pepper
salt, pepper
Method
Prepare the meat. Trim off most of the excess fat, and cut the meat into about 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes. Dice the onions, mince the garlic cloves, dice the tomato and the pepper.
Prepare the sauerkraut. If you have fresh sauerkraut from the market or from your favourite butcher, and you find it too salty, simply wash it out under cold tap water. Put a handful of cabbage under the water for a few seconds, and then squeeze the excess water out with your hands. You can do it in small batches.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot, add the onions, and sauté until they are golden and tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Be careful, don’t let the garlic burn. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the Hungarian sweet paprika. Stir and place the pot back to the heat.
Add the meat, and sear the cubes for a couple of minutes while stirring frequently
Add some salt, pepper, the bayleaves, the tomatoes, peppers, and 100 ml (1/3 cup) water. Be careful with the salt. You don’t want to use too much at the beginning, as the sauerkraut will add salt to the dish as well.
Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce the heat. Cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Check and stir it occasionally. Add a bit of water if necessary.
Once the meat is tender, add the sauerkraut, and stir it together with the stew. Add 500 ml (2 cups) water, and let it cook for another 30 minutes. If you prefer more tender sauerkraut, simmer a bit longer.
Serve it with sour cream and fresh bread.
You might like these savory recipes too!
Lentil stew with a secret ingredient
Cabbage stew with tender meat bites
Ingredients
- 1 kg pickled cabbage avoid added sugar in store-bought cabbage, it should contain only cabbage and salt. Preferably no preservatives either
- 500 g pork shoulder, cut into cubes
- 2 medium onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp canola, vegetable oil or fat
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbs red sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tomato
- ½ bell pepper
- salt, pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the meat. Trim off most of the excess fat, and cut the meat into about 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes. Chop the onions, mince the garlic cloves, the dice the tomato and the pepper.
- Prepare the sauerkraut. If you have fresh sauerkraut from the market or from your favourite butcher, and you find it too salty, simply wash it out under cold tap water. Put a handful of cabbage under the water for a few seconds, and then squeeze the excess water out with your hands. You can do it in small batches.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot, add the onions, and saute until they are golden and tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Be careful, don't let the garlic burn. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the Hungarian sweet paprika. Stir and place the pot back to the heat.
- Add the meat, and sear the cubes for a couple of minutes while stirring frequently
- Add some salt, pepper, the bayleaves, the tomatoes, peppers, and 100 ml (⅓ cup) water. Be careful with the salt. You don't want to use too much at the beginning, as the sauerkraut will add salt to the dish as well.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce the heat. Cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Check and stir it occasionally. Add a bit of water if necessary.
- Once the meat is tender, add the sauerkraut, and stir it together with the stew. Add 500 ml (2 cups) water, and let it cook for another 30 minutes. If you prefer more tender sauerkraut, simmer a bit longer.
- Serve it with sour cream and fresh bread.
Notes
- Sauerkraut – it could be freshly bought at the market, or a store-bought jarred one.
- If you find the sauerkraut too salty, just wash it out batch by batch under cold water. Squeeze out the excess water with your hands, and the cabbage is ready to go
- Tomatoes and peppers – for me they are quite important to make a great stew. You can always skip one or both, or
- substitute tomatoes with: adding 1-2 tbs tomato paste (but add a bit more water to the stew), or use some leftover tomato passata
- substituting peppers: you can use jarred grilled bell peppers. I always keep one or two bottles in the pantry in case I need a bit of peppers to the perfect stew. Remember to clean the pepper piece before you cut it up. Remove the seeds and the blackened skin.
- The Hungarian paprika could burn quickly on high heat. Avoiding this, I suggest to remove the pot a bit while you add the spice.
- I use Bell peppers mostly in stews as I cannot get the Hungarian peppers in Canada except a few weeks in September. I use the green one as it is not as sweet as the red and the yellow. I also like using Cubanelle peppers, but they are more hard to find as well.
- When reheated, add a bit of water to the stew, and boil it up.
Leave a comment on the recipe page! Did you try this recipe? Let me and others know how you liked it by leaving a comment below.
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©2022 HungarianEats. Please note all images and content protected by copyright. Please do not use any images without consent. If you wish to republish a recipe from this blog, please link back to the recipe page.
The post Cabbage stew with tender meat bites appeared first on Hungarian Eats.
]]>The post Heavenly Brussels Sprout Casserole appeared first on Hungarian Eats.
]]>This delicious Brussels sprout casserole recipe is another favourite of my family taste testers. It is simple and fast to prepare and only needs everyday ingredients.
Brussels sprouts keep for a long time in the fridge, about a week, they boast high levels of many nutrients and are thought to have many health benefits. Read more about this great vegetable here.
Before I first made this recipe, I found Brussels sprouts in the fridge, some minced meat in the freezer, some rice in the pantry. The only thing I did not have on a weekday late afternoon was time. What could I possibly make for my family fast enough, that would be nutritious, well balanced, and be ready in a short amount of time?!
Then this casserole came into my mind. Once I put the rice to cook, I quickly prepared the meat, sautéed the onion, seared the meat, and set it to cook for a few minutes. When these two things were on the stove cooking, I prepared the Brussels sprouts to steam. I preheated the oven, and as all the ingredients got ready about the same time, I put everything together, put the dish into the oven for about half an hour, and done. While the dish was baking, I could prepare the kitchen for dinner. Wasn’t it just simple and fast?! And wait until you taste the result.
Heavenly Brussels sprout casserole
¾ kg brussels sprouts
1 cup Arborio rice
¾ kg minced meat
1 tbs canola oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
pepper
2 tsp red mild paprika
2 tsp dry parsley or 2 tbs fresh parsley
1 cup sour cream
Prepare the rice. In a saucepan over the stove bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
Prepare the meat. In a pan on medium heat sauté the chopped onions in 1 tbsp oil, until they are soft and golden. Add the meat, and sear it for a few minutes while stirring constantly. Add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, parsley. Lower the heat, cover and simmer it for about 8-10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Prepare the Brussels sprouts. Wash in cold water, cut the stem, peel off and discard any outer leaves that are old, yellow or dry. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half. Using a steamer basket, steam the Brussels sprouts for about 5 minutes, until they are fork tender.
Butter a large glass or ceramic oven proof dish. Spread first the rice in the bottom of the dish, then the meat, and the Brussels sprouts last.
Spread the sour cream on top, and place the dish in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Serve it hot with some pickles on the side. Bon appétit – Jó étvágyat!
You might like these savory recipes too!
Cabbage stew with tender meat bites
Lentil stew with a secret ingredient
Heavenly brussels sprout casserole
Ingredients
- ¾ kg brussels sprouts
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ¾ kg minced meat
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper
- 2 tsp red mild paprika
- 2 tsp dried parsley or 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare the rice. In a saucepan over the stove bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
- Prepare the meat. In a pan on medium heat sauté the diced onions in 1 tbsp oil, until they are soft and golden. Add the meat, and sear it for a few minutes while stirring constantly. Add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, parsley. Lower the heat, cover and simmer it for about 8-10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180 °C / 350 F.
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts. Wash in cold water, cut the stem, peel off and discard any outer leaves that are old, yellow or dry. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half. Using a steamer basket, steam the Brussels sprouts for about 5 minutes, until they are fork tender.
- Butter a large glass or ceramic oven proof dish. Spread first the rice in the bottom of the dish, then the meat, and the Brussels sprouts last.
- Spread the sour cream on top, and place the dish in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Serve it hot with some pickles on the side. Bon appétit – Jó étvágyat!
Notes
Leave a comment on the recipe page! Did you try this recipe? Let me and others know how you liked it by leaving a comment below.
Instagram – Did you make this or other recipe from the blog? Make a pic and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @realhungarianeats and #realhungarianeats. I can’t wait to hear from you and see your creations!
Pinterest – You can find us on Pinterest too, if you would like to pin the recipe pics!
©2022 HungarianEats. Please note all images and content protected by copyright. Please do not use any images without consent. If you wish to republish a recipe from this blog, please link back to the recipe page.
The post Heavenly Brussels Sprout Casserole appeared first on Hungarian Eats.
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