Borsos Tokany a Hungarian Pork Stew

Borsos tokany is an easy and delicious Hungarian pork stew, flavoured by lots of black pepper; it also features bacon and a sour cream sauce.

The dish takes about an hour to cook and prepare; however, only 15 minutes of that is active cooking and preparation time, making it a really low-maintenance meal.

Classic Hungarian Pork Stew

This dish may not be as famous as Hungarian goulash or even chicken paprikash, but it really is an ancient, old-school classic Hungarian recipe.

For many, that is where their knowledge of Hungarian cuisine ends, but this easy pork stew is one of the mainstays of Eastern Hungarian and Transylvanian food.

I know it as borsos tokány, and in Romania it is called tocană.

It is a recipe that is often thought of as the forerunner of the classic Hungarian dishes of marha porkolt and birkapörkölt mutton stew. Just like that dish, it is a "family" of recipes rather than a singular entity.

Often cooked with beef, game, and chicken, my version uses pork, and it is the simplest variant.

Pork, bacon, black pepper and a silky smooth thickened sour cream sauce.

You need this recipe in your life because it's delicious, it is simple peasant comfort food at its very best.

If you absolutely must have paprika, then check out my pork paprikash recipe!

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut of pork should I use?

I always cook this pork stew recipe with what Hungarians call tarja. It is a gloriously fatty piece of meat from the upper portion of the shoulder of the pig.

I believe that my American readers will know it as Boston butt or pork butt.

In the UK, it goes by many names, everything from shoulder to blade and collar to pork hand & spring.

It is often rolled as a joint in the UK. But if you ask your butcher for some fatty pork from the top of the shoulder, you will be fine.

But do not be tempted to use a lean cut of pork like loin because it will dry out.

Can I use bacon rashers?

Yes, but this recipe is much better with thick-cut bacon lardons rather than rashers.

If you head to an Aldi/LIDL or any Polish store, you should be able to buy an unsliced lump of bacon.

Can I use a nonstick pan?

The secret to this recipe is the bloom or fond, which is the sticky bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, because they are vital to flavour!

Just take a look at the colour of the water after I pour it into the pan in the video (below the recipe).

Serving Suggestions

If you want to go full-on Hungarian with this meal, you can serve it with buttered nokedli. A Hungarian dumpling or "noodle" that is ubiquitous across the region in various guises.

They are essentially a little bit like buttered noodles or gnocchi, both of which would serve as a decent substitute.

I have gone super indulgent and served my borsos tokany with rakott krumpli in the past.

A dish of layered potatoes with smoked sausage, boiled eggs and a sour cream sauce. A Hungarian version of the potatoes dauphinoise, if you like!

You are not mistaken, the name of my site appears in that recipe name!

Sticking with the potato vibe, this is also delicious with some salty straw potatoes.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 28cm or 11" frying pan, not nonstick if possible.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Mixing bowl.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Stirring and serving spoons.