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Meat in sauce with paprika and bell pepper in a slow cooker

Pork in Paprika and Bell Pepper Sauce (Slow Cooker)

A tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat dish that's an absolute treat — and that's no exaggeration. Set to the right program, a slow cooker turns lean, dry pork into something tender and juicy. Hungarians, who are credited with dishes like this paprika-and-bell-pepper meat, traditionally serve it as a first course, and you can too if you make plenty of gravy. These days, though, it's usually served as a main, paired with all kinds of sides — vegetables, pasta, grains, and so on. It's perfect for any meal, on weekdays and holidays alike.

wella

Recipe author

Meat in sauce with paprika and bell pepper in a slow cooker

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pork

250

Onion

Carrots

Bell pepper

Sour cream

100

Tomato paste

Flour

Paprika

Salt

Dry spices

Vegetable oil

1.5

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 25 % 7 g

Fats 54 % 15 g

Carbohydrates 21 % 6 g

180 kcal

GI: 83 / 0 / 17

Cooking method

Step 1:

The classic version calls for beef, but experience shows pork works well too. It holds up beautifully with this gentle cooking method — especially if you soak it briefly first. Cut the piece of meat into flat slabs, then into strips, and finally into small slices.
Step 2:

To make the gravy thicker, dust the meat with flour. Just be careful not to use too much.
Step 3:

Now pour the oil into the slow cooker bowl and add the meat. Set it to the "Sauté/Fry" mode for now.
Step 4:

While the meat fries (give it about 10 minutes), stirring regularly so it doesn't burn, let's prep the next ingredient — the onion. Not leek, not lettuce, just the ordinary yellow onion you'll always find in the kitchen. Peel the onion (I used a small one) and chop it up roughly.
Step 5:

Peel and rinse the carrot. It'll add to the flavor of the finished dish, too.
Step 6:

The bell pepper is optional, but it really transforms the flavor of the meat. So remove the seeds and stem and cut it into smallish slices.
Step 7:

Since we got through all that quickly, add the onion, carrot, and pepper to the meat. Stir well and keep frying everything for another 5-7 minutes.
Step 8:

Then pour in a mixture of sour cream and water (add enough water so the mixture comfortably covers everything in the bowl), along with the paprika and an assortment of spices. Switch to the "Stew/Simmer" mode and cook for about 50 minutes, stirring in the tomato paste and salt at the very end, about 5 minutes before it's done. Check on it after about half an hour — if there isn't enough liquid, add a little boiling water.

A few more tips. Meat: to make lean, dry pork softer, juicier, and more tender, soak it in water. I usually let it sit for about 30 minutes, then gently squeeze it out and pound it lightly. Pork is guaranteed to come out tender if you coat it in a thin layer of mustard. The meat should be fresh, not dried out. After soaking, be sure to blot the piece with a paper towel. Cut the meat into small pieces, across the grain. Spices: use plenty of them — marjoram, paprika, cumin, bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and so on. Still, add them in moderation, so everyone enjoys the dish, not just you. Liquid: if it cooks down too much, top it up — but with boiling water, not cold. Ingredients: you can use fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste. Flour works as a gravy thickener. By the way, some versions include, besides the carrot and pepper like mine, even potatoes and garlic. Cooking: when you brown the meat, try to leave space between the pieces — if you have a lot, it's better to divide it and fry in batches. The order in which you add the ingredients can vary. For example, you can fry the onion and other vegetables first, brown the meat separately, then combine everything and simmer — though that takes longer.