Goulash
Gulyás — the word means 'herdsman' in Hungarian — started as a cattle drover's stew on the Great Plain. It became a dish of national significance in the nineteenth century, when Hungarian reformers deliberately elevated it as a symbol of Magyar identity against Habsburg cultural dominance. What the rest of the world calls goulash is often closer to pörkölt — in Hungary, gulyás is properly a soup, not a thick stew. Paprika is the dish. Hungarian sweet paprika — not smoked, not hot — goes in after the onions have softened, added off the heat or on very low flame: high temperature burns it instantly and turns the whole pot bitter. The thickening comes from slowly dissolved onions and potato starch. No cream, no flour.
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Can be frozen
Great for meal prep
Slow simmered
Low and slow cooking
One-pot
Minimal washing up
Ingredients 4 servings
- 700g beef chuck or shin, cut into 3cm cubes
- 400g waxy potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- 400g canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 litre beef stock
- 3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
- 2 tsp caraway seeds, salt and black pepper to taste
How to make it
- 1Pat the beef cubes dry and season with salt and pepper.
- 2Heat the lard or oil in a heavy pot over high heat and brown the meat in batches — do not stir too much; you want a crust, not steamed meat.
- 3Remove and set aside.
- 4Reduce heat to medium, add the onions and cook 10 minutes.
- 5Add the paprika and stir for 1 minute — do not let it burn or it turns bitter.
- 6Add the peppers, tomatoes, caraway seeds and beef stock.
- 7Return the beef, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 60-75 minutes.
- 8Add the potatoes and simmer 25 more minutes until tender and the beef flakes easily under pressure.
- 9Taste and adjust salt.
- 10Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread to mop up the rich broth.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
