You actually do not have to go all the way to Budapest to have yourself some good goulash, a lot of European cultures have adaptations of this rich beef stew.
Here we have something called Papaz Yahnisi (transl. Priest's Stew) which is very similar to Goulash, although ours doesn't have any carrots. In Germany they also have an almost exact adaptation which they serve with these special noodles called Spaetzle. Papaz Yahnisi, here, is eaten with plain pilaf or potato puree.
I have had the luck to eat Goulash in Hungary - in the middle of an extremely hot summer about 25 years ago. (Climate change hustlers - just to let you know, there was a public thermometer on one of the squares, and these eyes of mine saw 40 degrees celcius, at 6 o'clock in the evening. And no, it wasn't broken, it really was that hot. I even had conversations about the heat and was told, "this is how Budapest always is in August". So, whatever you do, stay out of my face with "never before seen heatwaves in Europe" - go tell all that to someone more gullible than me. Considerably more gullible, I might add!)
Anyway, this little rant having been taken care of; under those sorts of temperatures, the paprika in the goulash, delicious as it was, was hot! And I mean hot! So, I only ate it once - stuck to other good stuff for the rest of my stay. Of which there is plenty in Hungary, not just Goulash.
INGREDIENTS
| GOULASH
- 2.5 pounds boneless chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tsp EACH salt, pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, diced
- 10 ounces white mushrooms, halved, quartered if large
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup sweet paprika (do NOT use basic, hot or smoked paprika)
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds (may sub 1 tsp EACH fennel seeds, dried oregano)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ cups carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 14 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes (don’t drain)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
| |
1 tablespoon beef bouillon2 ½-3 cups low-sodium beef broth2 bay leaves
ADD LATER
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into ½-inch cubes
- ¼ cups low-sodium beef broth (optional for thickening if desired)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional for thickening if desired)
FOR SERVING
- egg noodles or mashed potatoes
- sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- freshly chopped parsley
|
INSTRUCTIONS
- While the meat is still on the cutting board, toss it with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Let it rest while you chop/gather the rest of your ingredients.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add half of the beef and cook until seared on all sides; transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef.Lower heat to medium and add butter, a drizzle of olive oil, onions and mushrooms (if using). Cook, stirring often, until onions are softened, about 10 minutes. Add a drizzle of olive oil if the vegetables become too dry.
- Add garlic, sweet paprika, caraway seeds and thyme and sauté for 30 seconds. Add all remaining Goulash ingredients up to “add later” (carrots through bay leaves). The broth should barely cover the ingredients, you may need more or less depending on your pot and if you omit the carrots/mushrooms.
- Bring the pot to a simmer, cover, and continue to simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally and replacing the lid. Add the potatoes, if using, the last 30 minutes of cooking. More broth will evaporate on the stove, so be prepared to add additional broth as needed.
- If you would like a thicker Goulash once the beef is tender, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold beef broth or water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Slowly whisk into the Goulash over low heat. Bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened.
- Serve each bowl over noodles garnished with a dollop of sour cream, and parsley if desired.
Shamelessly filched from:
Thank you Carlsbad Cravings! :-)
Images: Unsplash and Freepik.
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