Hungarian Gulasch is one of those many recipes that are pure comfort. Spicy deep notes of paprika, caraway, marjoram all soaked together in beef onions and garlic. The warm heat of the Hungarian Rose Paprika will warm your body and your soul.
Just to be clear, Hungarian Gulasch and American Goulash have little if nothing in common. Goulash the American way is usually browned ground beef with noodles all in one pot. Hungarian Gulasch is a savory beef stew, consisting of cubed beef, simmered in its own juices and spices and served with rice, dumplings, boiled potatoes or noodles…ON THE SIDE.
After the recipe I will talk a bit about using the right paprika powder for this. I also want to mention, that in order for this recipe to work you need a heavy, ovenproof pot.
Ingredients
- 2lb of beef (cubed in chunks about 2″square). Please deo yourself a favor and do not purchase pre cut stew meat. Go for a rump roast or equal and cut it yourself.
- 1lb of chopped onions (yellow or white)
- Three cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 cup beef broth divided in half
- 2TBS tomato paste
- 3TBS Hungarian paprika powder
- 1TBS marjoram powder
- 1/4 TBS caraway powder
- 1/2tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 small bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup oil
Directions
- In a large heavy pot (ovenproof) heat the oil and butter. Add the meat, onions and garlic. Stir frequently until onions start to soften and meat starts to render liquid. Do not try to build a crust on the meat. This is all about slow cooking to develop flavor.
- Next add all the spices into the mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Add the tomato paste.
- Add half of the broth. Depending on the size of your pot you might need a bit more or less of the broth. The meat should not be submerged in liquid. The amount should just cover the bottom of your pot.
- Place ovenproof lid on your pot and place the pot into a 300 degrees preheated oven.
- Set timer for an hour. After the first hour stir the pot and check how much liquid the meat is rendering. If the bottom looks dry, add a bit of the beef stock just to cover. At this point there should be enough liquid in the pot though
- Continue cooking the Gulasch for another two hours or until the meat is tender (cooking time will vary depending on your stove, the material of your cooking vessel (like enamel or cast iron) and most important on the type of meat you used and the size of your chunks.
- When your meat is tender you could serve the Gulasch just like that over rice noodles or any other side you choose. I usually thicken up the liquid with the remaining beef stock and a TBS of starch.
- Season to taste one more time with salt and pepper.
