Goulash
One of my favorite kinds of food is goulash which can be like a soup or thick enough to be considered a type of stew.
In Hungary, Gulyasleves is a dish which is prepared like a soup. A herdman is a gulyas and leves means soup. This soup is typically made with beef, vegetables, ground paprika and other spices. It was a dish which was cooked by cattlemen tending their herds on the Great Hungarian Plain. They cooked it outdoors over an open fire in a portable cauldron which was called bogracs. Originally the dish was similar to a stew and was called bogracsgulyas. When Gulyasleves is served in a Hungarian restaurant it is a soup but Hungarians in their homes cook the dish as a stew. The recipe has many variations and although the usual meat is beef, mixed meats may also be used such as pork and mutton/lamb. To this one can add tomatoes, carrots and fresh peppers (often hot chilies). Ingredients like onions, paprika and caraway seeds bring out the flavor in this dish and cubed potatoes or pasta squares may be added.
Goulash, Porkolt and Paprikas are traditional Hungarian stews. All of them originated as herdsmen stews and are looked upon as the national dishes of Hungary. Porkolt is made with boneless meat, paprika and some vegetables but no potatoes whereas Paprikas consists of meat, paprika and thick, heavy sour cream. Other ingredients that may be added are garlic, tomato for color, a bit of caraway seeds, fresh green pepper and if made with game - wine. The only stew that uses flour is Paprikas.
The most important thing to remember when preparing any of the above mentioned dishes is that one must start by frying onions in hot fat until they are golden in color. Then they are taken off the fire and paprika is added and mixed in with the onions while they are still hot. Afterwards meat is added and it is coated with the onion paprika mixture then returned to heat. Goulash may be prepared with either beef, veal, pork or lamb. The main cuts of meat that are used are shank, shin or shoulder. The meat is then cut into chunks seasoned with salt and browned with sliced onions. Along with water or stock paprika is added and the goulash is simmered. After it has cooked awhile garlic, whole or ground caraway seeds or vegetables such as carrot, parsnip, green peppers, celery and tomato can be added. Spices like hot chili peppers, bay leaf and thyme may also be used for added flavor. Sometimes diced potatoes are added to make the goulash thicker. When the cooking is almost done white wine or wine vinegar may be added. The goulash can then be served with small egg noodles called csipetke. Small bits of dough (csip - pinch) are added to the boiling goulash.
There are many different varieties of goulash:
Gulyas a la Szeged - consists of pork shoulder, onions, caraway seeds, garlic paprika, sauerkraut and sour cream.
Gulyas Hungarian Plain Style - vegetables are added and the pasta - csipetke is left out.
Mock Gulyas which is also called Hamisgulyas (Fake or Gypsy goulash). Meat is substituted with beef bones and vegetables are added.
Bean Gulyas - here no caraway seeds or potatoes are used instead the main ingredient is kidney beans.
Csango Gulyas - sauerkraut and rice are used.
Betyar Gulyas - uses smoked pork or smoked beef.
Likocsi Pork Gulyas - makes use of pork and thin vermicelli and is flavored with lemon juice.
Mutton Gulyas or Birka gulyas - consists of mutton and red wine is added for flavor.
There are cookbooks that suggest using roux with flour to thicken goulash while others say to use a lot of tomatoes for color and taste. However original goulash is flavored with paprika and if tomatoes are used the flavor should be subtle not overwhelming. Most Hungarians chefs consider that tomatoes should not be used in goulash and that it should be thickened by diced potatoes simmered along with the meat.
There is a paprika-based potato stew called Paprikas krumpli. It uses diced potatoes, onion, tomato, bell peppers, ground paprika and a bit of bacon or sliced spice sausage, like Debrecener sausage (a pork sausage which is a reddish-orange color. It is spiced with paprika and seasonings such as garlic, pepper and marjoram. It comes unsmoked or lightly smoked) used in German-speaking countries.
Thick stews are popular from Northeast Italy to the Carpates and are usually served with boiled or mashed potatoes, polenta, dumplings, spatzle or bread. Wiener Saftgulasch or Fiakergulasch is served in Viennese restaurants. It is a stew similar to Porkolt and uses lots of onions and other vegetables but no tomatoes. It is usually served with dumplings called Semmelknoedel. In Germany it is called Gulasch, Rindergulasch or Gulaschsuppe and is made with beef, potatoes in a tomato based broth. The Dutch in Netherland make a dish like Porkolt and use beef, lamb or pork and sometimes even fish. In Italy goulash is made in the regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige/Suditrol and is a regular dish for Sundays. Adaptations to goulash come from Australia, Canada and the United States. Ground beef is substituted for beef chunks and most often noodles, pasta or elbow macaroni are added. Goulash is also popular in Croatia especially in the north Hrvatsko Zagorje and Lika. Deer and boar usually replace beef in Gorski Kotar and Lika and is called Lovacki gulas. Gulas od vrganja is a goulash made with porcini mushrooms and bacon is an important ingredient in Croatian goulash. It is often served with fuzi (which is a traditional Istrian pasta shaped like a bow), polenta (ground yellow or white cornmeal and when boiled it has a creamy texture) or pasta. Usually vegetables such as green and red bell peppers and carrots are used in Ciganski gulas in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia. Meat may also be added like pork loin, bacon or mutton. During WWII Slovenian partisans favored Partizanski gulas which uses a great deal of quartered potatoes making it thicker than soup but not quite as thick as goulash. It is still served at large public events. In Poland goulash is known as gulasz and is like the Hungarian Porkolt and eaten with buckwheat kasha. Goulash in the Czech Republic consists of beef, dark bread and beer added to it.
Hungarian Goulash
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently. Remove onions and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper. Coat beef cubes in spice mixture, and cook in onion pot until brown on all sides. Return the onions to the pot, and pour in tomato paste, water, garlic and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender.
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