Catholic Recipe: Gulyas

Also Called: Hungarian Goulash

Had you lived in Austria before the war, November 15 would have been your harvest feast day. This date was kept for St. Leopold, and many of the celebrations of St. Martin were transferred to this day. It became the Goose Day when the fat old birds were plucked and their down was stuffed into billowy Austrian feather beds. This was the New-wine Day when the first bouquet of the wine was sniffed appreciatively as it rose from the must. This was a real feast day when every good Austrian counted his sausages by the yard and thanked St. Leopold for his fine goulash mit nockerln.

These frosty days of fall are perfect for the making of Goulash. If you have veal, make the Austrian variety. If you have pork, make Gulyas from Hungary. One of our favorite dinners is Hungarian Gulyas served with boiled, mealy white potatoes. You can make boiled potatoes mealy if you drain them and place the pan back on low fire — without a lid — so all moisture will evaporate. After several minutes, cover the pan and shake it up and down. Then your potatoes will be fluffy.

DIRECTIONS

Cut pork into two-inch cubes and sprinkle with vinegar. Brown meat and onions in fat. Add water, sauerkraut and seasonings. Cover pan and cook until meat is tender. Add sour cream just before serving.