This Venezuelan goulash-style pork stew is made in one pot with pork loin, a paprika sofrito, potatoes, and carrots, and it’s ready in less than two hours. The meat turns tender, the sauce gets thick and ruddy, and the aroma of bay leaves and thyme fills the whole house. It’s naturally gluten-free and a complete meal in a single bowl.
I made this Goulash-Style Pork Stew in partnership with the National Pork Board. As a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program and other affiliate programs, I receive compensation for products sold through the affiliate links in this post at no cost to the buyer.
Soup or Stew?
Both. You can serve this pork stew as a soup, in a deep bowl with plenty of broth, or as a main dish, thicker and with white rice or bread on the side. Either way, it’s a complete meal, perfect for chilly days and family dinners.
A Tribute to Fritz & Franz’s Goulash
This stew was born from a memory. In Caracas there was a modest German restaurant, Fritz & Franz. It started in El Rosal and later moved to my neighborhood, Altamira.
I used to go there for Polish and German sausages with sauerkraut, and a potato salad I adored. Always, without fail, I ordered my goulash. For dessert, their delicious apple strudel. All with an ice-cold beer.
I was born and raised in the tropics, and we always want what we don’t have. When I lived in Miami, I dreamed of cold days by the fireplace. Now that I live in Charlotte, that problem is solved. So welcome back, my goulash: a pork loin turned into a stew, with paprika, bay leaves, thyme, potatoes, and carrots.
¡Buen provecho!
Enri
Ingredients
To make this goulash-style pork stew, you’ll need:
- Pork loin
- Coarse sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cornstarch
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Red bell pepper
- Canned tomatoes
- Paprika
- Bay leaves
- Fresh thyme
- Carrots
- Potatoes
You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
How To Make Goulash-Style Pork Stew
- Sear the pork. Season the pork loin cubes with salt and pepper, coat them in cornstarch, and sear them in batches in a hot Dutch oven with olive oil until golden on all sides. Set aside.
- Make the sofrito. In the same pot, sauté the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper until softened. Add the tomatoes and paprika and let them cook down into a sauce.
- Simmer the stew. Add the water, pork, bay leaves, and thyme, and cook covered. Then add the carrots and, last, the potatoes, and let everything soften in the sauce.
Pro tip: The cornstarch coating on the meat is what thickens the sauce, so don’t skip it. It gives the stew body without any wheat flour
FAQs
Did You Know?
Goulash traces its origins to the stews eaten by Magyar shepherds in Hungary as far back as the 9th century. Before heading out with their flocks, they cooked the meat with onions until the liquid was absorbed, dried it in the sun, and stored it in bags made from sheep’s stomachs. At mealtime, they simply added water. Paprika, which is essential in today’s goulash, was added to the recipe in the 18th century.
Source: Encyclopædia Britannica, “Goulash.”
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Venezuelan Goulash-Style Pork Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork loin cut into 1-inch cubes 1.35 kg, 2.5 cm cubes
- Coarse sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¾ cup cornstarch 96 g
- 4 tablespoons olive oil 60 ml
- 1 cup onion finely chopped 160 g
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped celery 100 g
- 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper 150 g
- 2 cups canned petite diced tomatoes with their juice 480 g
- 2 tablespoons paprika 14 g
- 2 cups water 480 ml
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 bouquet fresh thyme about 6 sprigs
- 2 cups carrots cut into ½-inch cubes 260 g, 1.3 cm cubes
- 2 cups potatoes cut into ½-inch cubes 300 g, 1.3 cm cubes
Instructions
- Season the pork with salt and pepper.
- Place the cornstarch in a bowl, add the pork cubes, and coat them completely.
- In a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat, heat half the olive oil.
- Sear the meat in two batches. When it starts to brown, turn it; once it’s seared on all sides, remove it and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the rest. About 20 minutes total.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, and sauté the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and paprika and cook for about 10 more minutes, until a sauce forms.
- Add the water and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Add the pork, bay leaves, and thyme, adjust the salt, and cook covered over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Add the carrots and cook covered for 10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and cook covered for 20 more minutes, until they’re tender when pierced with a fork.
Video
Nutrition
Notes
- Nutritional values are approximate and were calculated automatically with WordPress Recipe Maker. They may vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands you use.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- Use sweet paprika for a classic flavor or smoked paprika for a more complex one.
- Canned petite diced tomatoes are ideal for this recipe.
- Keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezes for up to 3 months.
- Make it a day ahead: the flavors settle overnight and it tastes even better.
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Me encanta el cerdo mi esposo me dice que si no hay más carne que comer jajaj ahora con este estofado de cerdo se me hace la boca agua, que rico se ve
Gracias Ada, And súper easy to make!
I love this goulash-style pork stew, it’s comforting and delicious. I’ve tried several pork goulash recipes and yours is the best!
Awwww thank you Morena!
Enri se me hizo agua la boca. Este Goulash-Style Pork Stew se ve RIQUÍSIMO!!! Sin dudas me apunto la receta para hacerlo!
And it’s gluten-free too!
Me encanta el goulash y este de cerdo tiene que estar de muerte, además para el tiempo que hace estos días en Madrid viene de lujo.
Yesss! Give a try and you’ll love it Sofía. Thanks for stopping by.