This classic authentic Hungarian recipe offers depth, rich and bold flavours with chunks of beef and vegetables that takes me back to my childhood. This world class scrumptious dish is one worth making!
During the 9th Century the herdsmen would cooked stews from dried meats and fresh vegetables, and that’s how it all began. Today, this dish is considered the country’s national dish. This recipe can be made as a soup or stew. Either way, the flavours and ingredients are similar, however the soup has a broth and homemade dumplings.
This national dish requires a few ingredients, and when properly prepared and cooked can result in amazing flavours. I made this dish many times with the direction from my Mom and Grandma, it truly has become a family favourite. Keeping it simple, using good quality ingredients, and cooking it slow and low heat is the key to this dish. It is important to use Hungarian sweet paprika and sometimes a little bit of hot paprika is added, fresh vegetables, good quality red wine and proper cuts of beef. I recommend using a cast iron dutch oven when making this stew. The heat distribution is consistent throughout the pot.
WHAT MAKES THIS DISH SO DELICIOUS
EVOO: Select a good quality extra virgin olive oil to start off this incredible dish.
PAPRIKA: Once you added your evoo, the base ingredients of this dish begins with onion, garlic and Hungarian sweet paprika. If you like to add hot paprika, now it the time. I highly recommend imported Hungarian sweet paprika from Hungary for best results.
BEEF: The quality and type of beef matters when making any beef stew. You don’t want an expensive cut of beef when making a stew. Since a stew requires long and slow cooking, an expensive cut will be chewy and tough. As we know it, cooking a rib-eye steak is cooked fast on a hot grill resulting in a juicy and tender steak. I recommend chuck for this recipe for best results. Beef chuck becomes more tender when cooked long and slow as this meat releases gelatin giving it more moisture in the meat. Other options are top-sirloin flap, oxtail or brisket. I have purchased stewing beef, and if you don’t know the cuts, then it could result in a chewy stew. It is worth the time and money to go to a butcher to buy your meat.
RED WINE: I like to add red wine to my goulash to give it that depth and flavour. Try to use a decent quality bottle of red. I used a Chianti Classico by Rocca Delle Macie. What you don’t use for the recipe, enjoy the rest with your dinner.
VEGETABLES: I like to use organic vegetables whenever possible for their flavour and reduced amount of pesticides and chemicals.
GARNISH: Since I can remember, sour cream was always used in many of our Hungarian stews and it balances the rich paprika flavours with the creamy tangy sour cream. It is a personal preference and if you like you can substitute it with Greek yogurt.
Many would think this is a typical beef stew but it’s not once you have the privilege of tasting it. The bold Hungarian paprika has it’s own distinct smoky flavour and the slow cooking process it takes to create this rich flavourful dish that has you savouring every bite.
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS DISH
Heat oil in a medium sauce pot or cast iron dutch oven pot, add onion and sauté until softened about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper, sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the paprika, and coat the beef chunks with flour, and on medium to high heat, add the beef, and cook until meat is browned on all sides.
Add red pepper and red wine and deglaze to remove the brown bits from the pan. Then add the beef stock, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Once the liquid starts to come to a slow boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook with lid on for 1 hour then remove lid and cook for another 45-60 minutes to allow the liquid to reduce and thicken. Stir occasionally while it’s cooking.
The results should be a rich colour with a thick sauce that resembles a stew not a soup. The vegetables should be cooked and the beef is tender and juicy. Garnish with fresh parsley. Typically this goulash is serve with crusty bread or homemade dumplings.
For more authentic Hungarian dishes, be sure to try:
Authentic Hungarian Beef Goulash (Marha Gulyás)
Equipment
- cast iron Dutch oven pot or heavy sauce pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 lb chuck beef, cut into 1 inch cubes (stewing beef)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 red pepper, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 ripe vine whole tomatoes, diced
- 2-3 medium potatoes, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- parsley, garnishing
- sour cream, garnishing
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium sauce pot, add onion and sauté until softened about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper, sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the paprika, and coat the beef chunks with flour, and on medium to high heat, add the beef, and cook until meat is browned on all sides. Add red pepper and red wine and begin to scrape and stir the brown bits from the pan and continue deglazing until the wine reduces and all the brown bits are removed and the pan is smooth.
- Then add the beef stock, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Once the liquid starts to come to a slow boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook with lid on for 1 hour then remove lid and cook for another 45-60 minutes to allow the liquid to reduce and thicken. Stir occasionally while it's cooking.
- Serve with chopped parsley and sour cream if desired.
