Tokány is a typical Hungarian dish that everyone knows, and everyone has their own concept how to cook it. For this reason there’s no standard recipe for tokány, you can’t apply a general schema to it. According to its etymology presently accepted the word tokány comes from the Rumanian term tocána that translates as “chop or hash something into small pieces”. Thus, there’s only one thing, which is certain about tokány: the meat is diced or cut in strips. All the other elements of tokány are subject of debate.
Wrangler’s pork stew is a popular tokány; it’s made with pork, seasoned with marjoram and parsley leaves, and thickened with flour and sour cream. This pork stew is generally served with nokedli, but it also goes well with any other type of pasta.
Ingredients:
- 100 g (~3 1/2 oz) smoked pork fat, chopped
- 1 big onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 800 g (~1 3/4 lbs) boneless pork
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp sweet ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
- 2 heaping tbsp sour cream
- 1 heaping tbsp flour
Cut the pork in strips.
In a pot fry the chopped smoked pork fat until it releases enough lard and becomes crispy. Add finely chopped onions, a bit later add finely chopped garlic and sauté. Add the meat and stir fry until each side turns white and it releases liquid. Pour in 300-400 ml (~1 1/4 – 1 2/3 cups) of water, cover the pot and over low heat slowly simmer until tender (add more water if needed). Once the meat is done, whisk together 100 ml (~1/2 cup) of water, sour cream and flour. Ladle some hot liquid from the stew to the sour cream mixture, then stir it in the stew. Add finely chopped parsley leaves and cook the stew for 1-2 minutes. Serve with nokedli or pasta.
