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A Goulash recipe always contains paprika.
Goulash hails from Hungary and so it is best to use real Hungarian
paprika. I have heard of an Austrian spices company which grow
their own red peppers in Hungary, for a better Austrian Goulash.
A recipe for Goulash also varies from kitchen to kitchen. At
the end it is the same, just a beef stew with paprika based sauce.
GOULASH (Wiener Saftgulasch) makes you
want to eat more than you can. This Hungarian dish (spelled Gulyas
in Hungarian) found its way into Austrian cookbooks during the time
of the monarchy. It is a stew, best made with beef. But by using
the initial Goulash preparation I will describe below, you can turn
many different ingredients into a Goulash, as you will see.
What makes the Goulash a Goulash is the red
paprika sauce. The dish I will show you is the beefy Goulash, the
one that you get in every typical Austrian pub or authentic Viennese
coffee house. The best Goulash I have ever eaten I got in a no-name
coffeehouse in Vienna’s third district.
Beef goulash, properly prepared and stored in the
refrigerator, keeps well. The flavors blend with cold storage. It
is a perfect recipe to cook for guests a day or two before you
entertain. And it is also delicious the day you cook it.
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Ingredients
The
Foundation of any Goulash
-
2 lb onions
-
˝ cup oil or lard
-
red paprika powder (around 5 ounces)
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2 qt. cold water
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1 teaspoon marjoram,
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1 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1 bud garlic finely chopped
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1 teaspoon caraway seeds
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grated rind of ˝ lemon
For the
beefy Goulash
-
2 lb stewing beef (best is the stringy meat from the
muscular back part of the shank of the beef leg, or cut
up a chuck roast.)
-
1 teaspoon salt, and flour or cornstarch to thicken
sauce
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Cooking Method
How To Cook Goulash
1. The Foundation
Chop onions coarsely and sauté on
moderate heat 20 minutes until they are a golden color.
Remove pan from heat and add the paprika.
Do not fry the paprika, just mix it with the onions. Then
add the water and bring to boil, adding the seasoning.
Maintain a low boil for an hour, stirring from time to
time. You have created a goulash foundation.
Anything you add now becomes a
goulash—potato, chicken, beans, lobster(kidding), or as here
beef Goulash. The major difference between them is the time
you have to cook, for the beef takes much longer than green
beans.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
2. The meat
Now it is time to add the meat. Cut the
meat into cubes, 1˝ inches square, and leave on any stringy,
fatty parts because they add real flavor. Add the meat to
the basic Gulyas and cook it at medium heat for as long as
it takes to make the meat tender. You can do this stovetop
or in a slow cooker (Crockpot) on the high setting.
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ENLARGE
3. Adjust Seasoning
Sample a spoonful of the sauce. Do you
like it? Then it’s fine. If you are not satisfied, add
whichever seasoning you think it lacks.
4. To finish
The consistency of your sauce may be
thin. I prefer the sauce to be thicker, and I thicken it
with cornstarch. To prevent lumping, add a tablespoon flour
or cornstarch to half a cup of water in a jar, shake
vigorously and add to goulash as you stir it.
CLICK TO
ENLARGE
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