Hungarian Goulash

Intruder
October gave a party.
Autumn wore her finest gown
a kaleidoscope of colors
golden, crimson, yellow hues.

Leaves swirled, fluttered, whirled
dancing to woodland tunes.
Trees swayed, kept time to music
under a moonlit sky.

A blustery wind howled
the uninvited guest blew through
brought the party to a screeching halt
revelers were swept away.

by Sue Ready

Goulash is a soup or stew made with meat (mostly beef ), noodles and vegetables, seasoned with paprika and other spices. You can also add potatoes, root vegetables, wine, bay leaf, caraway, or thyme. It is the national dish of Hungary.

Cook's notes: I took a traditional recipe and added my Ever Ready version inspired by one from BHG Best Comfort Food  2011 Goulash.

The stew is loaded with flavor in a hearty broth, tender bits of beef, and lots of vegetables. I suggest avoiding buying meat labeled for stew as sometimes it can be tough and chewy. Try a chuck roast instead. The recipe called for using Hungarian Paprika, which I did not have, so I substituted smoked paprika. However, it was interesting to note in a recipe description in Hungary that paprika comes in six classes, ranging from sweet (mild) to hot. Always taste test before increasing the paprika amount. Serves 4-6, and the stew was served with Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Another option would be to serve stew over wide egg noodles. 

Ingredients: 

Cooking tip: Assembly of this dish goes smoother if all veggies are cut ahead ready to saute. 

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs. boneless chuck roast, cut in small chunks
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 small box of button white mushrooms 
• 1 cup diced red and yellow mini peppers
• 1-1/2 cups diced carrots
• 1 cup diced onions
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large Yukon potato, peeled and diced (about 1-1/4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon. sweet paprika or regular paprika 
• 1/2 -1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
• 1/2 tsp. each thyme, cinnamon, and oregano
• 1/4 cup flour mixed with 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 5 cups beef broth, low sodium
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, basil, garlic, oregano 

Directions:

• Place meat cubes with flour in a plastic ziploc bag and toss to coat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sear beef cubes on all sides, along with salt and pepper; remove meat from pan.
• Heat the remaining olive oil and saute the mushrooms, peppers, carrots, onions, and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the diced potatoes, cover, and sweat all the veggies for 6 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. 
• Add beef broth, spices, bay leaves, wine mixed with flour, and a can of diced tomatoes. Whisk to mix well. Add meat cubes back to the soup pot and cook on low, covered, for about 2 hours until meat is tender and veggies are fork tender. Stir occasionally. A slow cooker could be used at this step of the recipe. Cook on low for 2-4 hours.  

Cooking Tip: Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving. My husband found one in his bowl and wanted to know if there was a prize for finding it.  

There was not 😉

And so concludes my Minnesota cooking days and onward to new Western experiences.