Hungarian Pork Roast with Onion Gravy, Caraway Sauerkraut
and Dumplings
1 large pork roast about 6 or 7 lbs. (If not lean, trim some fat)
7 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 Tbs. sugar (do not omit, caramelizes the onions)
salt and pepper
Sear all sides of roast in a hot roasting pan over high heat.
Do not add any fat. (May set off smoke detectors).
Put all the chopped onions and 2 Tbs. of sugar into roasting pan with meat and
cover.
Place in a medium heat 325 degree oven and slowly roast for about 1 1/2 to 2
hours.
Check the roast periodically to turn it over and push the onions around. The
onions should be taking on a rich brown color.
Caraway Sauerkraut
2 lbs. of Sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (I like the pouched kind rather than
canned).
1 cup of water
1 Tbs. of Caraway seeds
1 Tbs. of sugar
2 Tbs. of lard or butter
2 Tbs. of flour
In the meantime, rinse the sauerkraut once with water, and put into a pot along
with the Caraway seeds and tablespoon of sugar, and cup of water.
Slowly cook till kraut is soft about 1/2 hour.
When Kraut is soft, blend 2 Tbs. of butter or lard with 2 Tbs. of flour and stir
into the Kraut mixing it in and stirring while the roux cooks to thicken the
Kraut. Be sure it simmers a few minutes to cook away the raw flour. Keep warm.
Farina Dumplings
4 Tbs. soft butter
4 eggs
Farina
1/2 teas. salt
But a pot of water on to boil.
Mix the soft butter, salt and the 4 eggs well.
Add farina 1/4 cup at a time till you have a dumpling dough consistency. Thick,
not runny.
Then add a little water for moisture.
When the water boils, cut the dumplings into the water with a tablespoon.
When they come to the top, cook about 5 minutes more. Drain and arrange on meat
platter.
Keep warm.
When the Pork Roast is finished, remove the roast to a board and carve it into
slices.
To the onions in the roasting pan add 2 cups of water into which 2 Tbs. of flour
have been stirred. While stirring the gravy use a spatula to "wash down" the
caramelized meat and onion juices which have colored the sides of the roaster.
This contains a lot of flavor and color for your Onion Gravy.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
Serve dumplings on the meat platter with a few spoonfuls of gravy poured over.
Caraway Sauerkraut is served in a side dish and the Onion Gravy is served in a
gravy boat.
Beer is the preferred drink. This is a feast fit for a Hungarian or Bohemian
King.
If you have leftovers this reheats nicely. If you have cooked too many
dumplings, they can be frozen and used in soup or Gulyas.
Serves 6-8. |