Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian goulash, the real deal. In the Midwest, there is a dish called goulash that is slightly sweetened stewed tomatoes and ground beef mixed into elbow macaroni. Not to knock that dish, but it’s not Hungarian goulash.

From the corners of my mind

Many of the foods I had as a kid in Germany impressed themselves upon my memory palette. For example. wiener schnitzel mit brotchen or wurst mit pom fritz purchased at a roadside stand, anyone? Certainly, I can’t be the only one chasing fond culinary memories from childhood. Similarly, Hungarian goulash, the real deal, is another of those foods. My first memory of goulash is from a restaurant up on a mountain in Germany near Hungary. I recall sitting at a patio table at a restaurant on a mountain, eating this glorious soupy stew. Another of those foods that I want to have again and again, but finding them is difficult, even in a town with deep, rich European culture. And so, I need to make Hungarian goulash at home. I certainly can’t live on memories alone.

Hungarian Goulash recipe

Here’s what we’ve come up with that tastes like what I remember from that mountain restaurant.

2 TBSP Lard

2 lbs of sliced yellow onion

6 TBSP Sweet paprika

2 lbs beef stew meat cut into bite sizes

1 tsp Caraway seed

2 cups diced sweet peppers. We used the cute, little, pumpkin-shaped Hungarian peppers we grew (in honor of goulash)

1/2 TBSP Crushed garlic

1 – 2 quarts of beef broth

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups diced potatoes

1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes

2 Bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook onions in lard (or tallow or butter, if you prefer), just until onions begin to brown.
2. Turn off heat and stir in the paprika.
3. Turn heat back on, stir in caraway seed and stew beef. Cook until beef is browned.
4. Add sweet peppers and cook until just beginning to soften.
5. Add caraway seed and paprika.
6. Stir in garlic, cook 1 minute.
7. Add broth, bay leaves, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. Simmer for 40 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add broth if needed before vegetables are cooked. It will be a stew-y soup or soupy stew.

Sit on a mountainside balcony, face to the sun, enjoying this amazing dish. And the nearly as impressive view.

Find one of our favorite cooking pots here: Lodge Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Check out another great recipe for fall: The Easiest Squash Casserole

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