Pork with Hungarian Pearl Barley

Dice the pork shoulder into approximately 2-3 cm (1 inch) pieces. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Dice the tomato and green bell pepper.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the lard or oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, add the sweet paprika powder, and stir quickly to prevent burning. Add the minced garlic, diced tomato, green bell pepper, ground caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Return the pot to the heat and add the diced pork. Stir well, then pour in enough water or broth to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the pork is tender, about 45-60 minutes. Check occasionally and add more water if needed.

While the pork is simmering, in a separate pan, toast the tarhonya in a little oil over medium heat until golden brown, stirring constantly, for about 5-8 minutes. Set aside.

Once the pork is tender, add the toasted tarhonya to the stew. Pour in enough hot water or broth so that the tarhonya is covered by twice its volume of liquid (approximately 800 ml total, including the stew's liquid). Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the tarhonya is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. Stir gently occasionally to prevent sticking. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.