This is perhaps not the most authentically Hungarian recipe, but it does have the advantage of being cheap and extremely simple to prepare and make:

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 400g diced pork (or 2 pork steaks, diced)
• One large potato, cut into 1-inch dice and parboiled (about 5 minutes)
• One large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (or 8 baby onions, peeled but left whole)
• Six garlic cloves, peeled and halved

Sauce

• 3 tbsp tomato pureé
• 1½ tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 1 heaped tbsp white sugar (optional)

To Serve

• Soured Cream
• Crusty White Bread (a sliced farmhouse loaf is ideal)
• Blanched¹ green beans or mange tout

Procedure

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Arrange the prepared pork, potatoes, onion and garlic in a shallow heat-proof dish.
3. Stir together the sauce ingredients, topping up to ²⁄₃ pint with water. Add balsamic vinegar to richen the colour of the sauce, but, if you do, be sure to add sugar in order to take off the acidic 'edge'. Pour the sauce over the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Cook, uncovered, in the oven for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway.
5. Serve with a generous dollop of soured cream, crusty bread and fresh green vegetables.

Update!: We have just found out that this is also very nice with black pudding crumbled over the top.

Back to my recipe book.