Name: Polish pork goulash (gulasz wieprzowy)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 1,000 g boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of hard excess fat and cut into 3 cm cubes; 20 g plain wheat flour, for coating; 35 ml rapeseed oil; 250 g yellow onions, finely diced; 7 g fine salt, divided; 4 g sweet ground paprika; 6 whole allspice berries, lightly cracked; 1.5 g dried marjoram; 600 ml hot water; 15 g plain wheat flour; 75 ml cold water

A wide view of „Polish pork goulash (gulasz wieprzowy)“ arranged on a table for serving.

Yield 6 servings

Serving size 1/6 of the finished stew, excluding any side dish

Prep time 25 minutes

Cook time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Recipe at a glance

Polish pork goulash (gulasz wieprzowy)

Excerpt: Tender pork shoulder and soft onion simmer into a thick, paprika-colored gravy, with allspice and a little marjoram.

Polish-style gulasz is a plate of meat pieces slowly cooked in a rich sauce. This pork version uses shoulder, onion and a lightly thickened gravy. Sweet paprika seasons the sauce, while allspice and a small amount of marjoram give it a warm, gently herbal finish.

The method builds flavor in stages: coat the pork lightly with flour, brown it in batches, soften the onions in the same pot, then braise the meat under a lid until tender. A smooth flour slurry thickens the cooking liquid at the end. Keep the simmer gentle so the pork softens without the sauce reducing too quickly.

Serve the goulash hot as a main dish. Boiled potatoes or cooked groats make suitable separate accompaniments and help catch the onion-rich gravy. The version here has no bell pepper, mushrooms, cream or tomato; ground paprika is a spice in the sauce.

The recipe makes six generous portions. Pork shoulder varies in fat and connective tissue, so allow the full braising window and use fork tenderness, rather than the clock alone, to judge when it is ready.

Tips for success

Cut the pork shoulder into even 3 cm cubes so the pieces brown and soften at a similar rate.
Pat the meat dry before flouring; surface moisture can make it steam instead of brown.
Brown in three or four batches with space between pieces. Add a little more time rather than crowding the pot.
Keep the covered pot at a quiet simmer. A rolling boil can toughen the meat and reduce the liquid too fast.
Add the marjoram near the end of braising so its aroma stays clear through the long cook.
Whisk the flour with cold water until smooth, then pour it into the simmering sauce gradually to avoid lumps.

Ingredients

Pork and browning

1,000 g boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of hard excess fat and cut into 3 cm cubes
20 g plain wheat flour, for coating
35 ml rapeseed oil

Onion and seasoning

250 g yellow onions, finely diced
7 g fine salt, divided
4 g sweet ground paprika
6 whole allspice berries, lightly cracked
1.5 g dried marjoram

Braising and thickening

600 ml hot water
15 g plain wheat flour
75 ml cold water

Method

Directions

Prepare the pork.Pat the pork dry and cut it into even 3 cm cubes. Toss with 20 g flour and 3 g of the salt just before browning. Keep the raw meat and flour away from ready-to-eat foods; wash hands, knife and board after handling.
Brown in batches.Heat the rapeseed oil in a heavy 4–5 L pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown the pork in three or four uncrowded batches, turning for about 5–7 minutes per batch until several sides are deep golden. Transfer each batch to a clean plate.
Soften the onion.Lower the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until soft and translucent. Add the paprika and cracked allspice; stir for 20–30 seconds without letting the paprika scorch.
Start the braise.Return the pork and any juices to the pot. Pour in 600 ml hot water; it should come about halfway up the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 90–105 minutes. Stir every 25–30 minutes and keep the liquid at a quiet simmer. If the bottom starts to dry before the meat softens, add hot water in 50 ml increments.
Check and season.Test a large cube with a fork. Continue braising until the fork enters easily, allowing more time if needed. Stir in the remaining salt and the dried marjoram for the final 10 minutes of cooking.
Thicken the gravy.Whisk 15 g flour with 75 ml cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the simmering sauce in a thin stream. Simmer uncovered for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until glossy, thick enough to coat a spoon and free of raw-flour taste. Loosen with hot water in 30 ml increments if needed.
Serve.Spoon the hot pork goulash into six portions. Serve with boiled potatoes or cooked groats on the side if desired; those accompaniments are not included in the nutrition estimate.

Nutrition and allergens

Energyabout 495 kcal per serving
Proteinabout 29 g
Fatabout 37 g
Saturated fatabout 12 g
Carbohydratesabout 9 g
Fibreabout 1 g
Sodiumabout 500 mg

Contains wheat and gluten. Keep raw pork and flour separate from ready-to-eat foods, clean hands and surfaces after handling, and cook the flour in the sauce until it no longer tastes raw. Cook the pork until fork-tender. For whole pork cuts, the minimum is 62.8 °C followed by a 3-minute rest; this long braise normally goes beyond that point. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4 °C for 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C.

Nutrition and allergens

Serving, make-ahead and storage: Bring the pot to the table while the sauce is hot and glossy. Boiled potatoes or cooked groats pair well with the onion-rich gravy; keep any side dish separate so the sauce remains the focus.

Serving, make-ahead and storage: The goulash can be cooked a day ahead and chilled once cooled. Reheat it gently in a covered saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if the gravy has thickened in the refrigerator.

Serving, make-ahead and storage: Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat throughout to 74 °C. Do not leave a large pot at room temperature while it cools.

Serving, make-ahead and storage: For a mild variation, adjust the amount of marjoram within the measured quantity. Use pork shoulder or a similarly braising-friendly pork cut; lean quick-cooking cuts will not become as tender with this method. Sweet ground paprika is a dry spice and is not interchangeable with fresh bell pepper.

Estimate basis: one-sixth of the stew, counting the full oil and flour amounts and excluding optional potatoes or groats. Generic food-composition values were used; pork shoulder fat and trimming vary.

In closing

This pork goulash gets its thick onion gravy from a covered shoulder braise finished with a smooth flour slurry.
Serve it hot with boiled potatoes or cooked groats to catch the paprika and allspice sauce.

Polish pork goulash (gulasz wieprzowy)

Tips for success

Ingredients

Pork and browning

Onion and seasoning

Braising and thickening

Method

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

In closing

Polish National Dishes

Polish-Style Roasted Pork Neck (Karkówka Pieczona)

Polish Sauerkraut with Dried Mushrooms and Linseed Oil (Kapusta z olejem lnianym i grzybami)

Łódź-Style Pork Knuckle with Braised Cabbage (Golonka z kapustą zasmażaną)