Hungarian Beef Stew Food

AUTHENTIC PöRKöLT (HUNGARIAN BEEF AND ONION STEW)

Steps:

• In a heavy pot or Dutch oven fry the bacon until done. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat until golden. Add the bell peppers and garlic and cook for another two minutes. Add the beef and cook for a minute until some, but not all, of the pink is gone. Stir in the paprika and remove from heat.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Add just enough water to come up to just over the halfway point of the stew mixture (in other words, not so the water is covering it). Return to heat and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 90 minutes. If the stew isn't thick enough, continue to simmer uncovered for a few more minutes so that some of the liquid evaporates. Add salt to taste.
• Serve with Spätzle (in Hungary they are shorter and stubbier, so prepare the dough accordingly or just use whatever method/shape you prefer - the texture and flavor of the dough is the same regardless). Or serve with boiled potatoes or wide egg noodles. A side salad, particularly a cucumber salad, is traditional. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream.

HUNGARIAN BEEF STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Cut steak into 2-inch cubes, removing fat and any tough sinews. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add meat and brown thoroughly on all sides. Remove meat to plate with slotted spoon and set aside. To oil in skillet, add onions, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. Return meat and plate juices to pan and sprinkle mixture with flour.
• Cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until flour is browned. Add green pepper, celery and carrots. Add enough beef stock to cover mixture and simmer 1 hour or until meat is tender. Ten minutes before stew is done, add dumplings (recipe follows) and cover skillet. (If desired, peeled and quartered potatoes may be added halfway through cooking time instead of dumplings.).
• To make dumplings, in a large bowl, combine all dumpling ingredients and blend thoroughly. Drop by spoonfuls into large pot of boiling salted water. When dumplings double in size and rise to the surface, remove with slotted spoon and cool in colander. Add to stew during the last 10 minutes. The dumplings can be made ahead, refrigerated and reheated.

HUNGARIAN BEEF STEW "GOULASH"

Steps:

• In the bottom of a heavy casserole saute the chopped bacon to render the fat. Add the onion to the bacon fat and brown until golden. Stir in the garlic but do not burn. Quickly add the beef in one layer, season with salt and pepper and brown all sides well.
• Sprinkle the paprika, marjoram and lemon zest in and quickly stir to coat the meat evenly.
• Add vinegar and wine and cook until nearly dry.
• Add the tomato and broth, bring to a boil quickly before lowering the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 45 minutes. Add the potatoes. Continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes before serving with buttered noodles.

HUNGARIAN GOULASH I

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

SLOW-COOKER HUNGARIAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except sour cream and egg noodles in a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow-cooker. (Can be done the night before. Refrigerate in removable crock or, if crock can't be removed, in a covered bowl, then transferred to slow-cooker to cook.).
• Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours until tender. Turn off cooker and stir in sour cream until well blended.
• Serve over Egg Noodles.

HUNGARIAN GOULASH STEW

Steps:

• Cut beef into 1 inch squares, add 1/2 tsp. salt and lightly dust with plain flour.
• Chop onions and brown in oil, add beef and paprika. Add garlic and chopped tomato.
• Let beef simmer in its own juice along with salt and paprika for 1 hr on very low heat.
• Add water, diced potatoes and remaining salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are done and meat is tender.
• Add more paprika if required towards the end, sauce should be thick and flavorsome. You can also add a tablespoon of flour at end to thicken slightly.
• Prepare the nokedli to accompany the goulash:
• Hand-beat eggs with fork for 30 secs and add water. Add flour to beaten eggs and add salt.
• Mix well until it forms a ball. Let it stand for 1/2 hour for flour to mellow.
• Take a teaspoonful of the mix and drop into boiling water. Repeat until mix is finished. Once dumplings rise to surface they are ready (normally takes about 1 min).
• Once you have removed all the nokedli, mix it in with a bit of salted butter and chopped parley.
• Mix the sourcream and horseradish cream. Top the goulash with the cream. Garnish with parsley and serve it with the nokedli.

HUNGARIAN STEW

Steps:

• Place potatoes and onions in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a large skillet, brown meat in oil on all sides. Place over potato mixture., Pour off excess fat from skillet. Add water to the drippings, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; heat through. Stir in the paprika, salt, caraway seeds, tomato paste and garlic. Pour into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. , Add green peppers and tomatoes; cover and cook 1 hour longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer meat and vegetables to a large serving bowl; cover and keep warm. , Pour cooking juices into a small saucepan. Combine flour and cold water until smooth; gradually whisk into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; whisk in sour cream. Stir into meat mixture.