Goulash
Goulash is all about paprika, the story goes that a Gulyás, (which means “herdsman” in Magyar) really liked paprika so he added paprika on his paprika and then added some beef stock for texture. Although Goulash (Gulyásleves, literally “goulash soup”) is not necesarily a stew, like Stroganoff, it can be served as a sauce as well.
Seriously, this is a delicios dish that is not as easy as it would seem to make perfectly, read on to find out why.
Ingredients
- 1kg of beef chunks
- 2 large golden onions
- 4 medium potatoes
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 2 large carrots
- 2 red bell peppers
- 3 to 5 large tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup red wine
Note: Paprika gets old really fast, in 4 months it will taste like paper; so make sure you taste it and be ready to buy some fresh paprika from the shop if needed.
Optionally:
Substitute 1 tbsp of paprika for 1 tbsp of hot paprika or cayenne.
Some stews have Csipetke noodles (csipet means “pinch”) a close cousin of the german Spätzle that you throw in to cook 15 minutes before the stew is ready. Making Csipetke is easy and it will give you something to do while the stew cooks:
- 1 egg whisked
- ½ cup flour
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp water
To make the Csipetke mix the ingredients well untill it makes a sticky dough. Then pinch it taking fingernail sized pieces of dough and put it on a plate sprinkled with flour to add them 15 minutes before turning the stove off.
Preparation
Put the beef and all the herbs and garlic in a deep plate make sure it fits tightly. Add wine to cover the beef and let it sit there for at least 4 hours.
When the meat has been marinating long enough chop up the onion and throw them in the stew pot with a little oil, chop up the tomatoes in small pieces and add to the onions when ready. Next add the beef chunks with the marinade and herbs. Do not seal the meat, the idea is for it to cook in the tomato sauce.
Next add the paprika (about 2 spoonfulls), and a cup of water, just enough to keep it slow cooking for a good hour without burning.
When the meat is ready and it pulls appart easily, add the rest of the paprika, the carrots, and the bell peppers. Cook this untill the consitency of your stew is just right.
Garnish with fresh herbs, like parsley and serve hot with a side dish of sour cream and a bottle of red wine.. This recipe is enough for 4 hungry stew lovers.