Goulash? A Sort of Survey

[FraidKnot]

I've always been curious about a dish which people in the mid-western and mid-southern U.S. call "goulash".

My family isn't Hungarian or Austrian (although my paternal grandmother was German) but I've always thought of "goulash" as a thick stew dish consisting of beef, onions, potatoes and spices (mainly but not exclusively paprika). Sometimes served over (ribbon-style) thin egg noodles; most often simply accompanied by chunks of a nice hearty toasted bread to sop up the beef gravy.

Since I moved to the southern U.S. almost 34 years ago now, I've encountered descriptions of goulash which are more akin cooked ground beef put in tomato sauce with elbow macaroni. Akin to the canned Chef Boyardee brand.

Obviously this is a regional (not to mention country!) difference. So I'm just curious, what do you consider "goulash"?

Fraidy

 

[Andy M.]

What you described is something we call American Chop Suey. Others call it slumgullion or goulash.

I make the Hungarian/Austrian version of the dish.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Eastern European versions of goulash and American versions are not the same. Your understanding of goulash is an Eastern European version.

Now, the stuff you are talking about finding in the Southern US called goulash is sometimes called goulash but often times is more correctly referred to as slum gullion. We recently had a big discussion about this in the beef forum under the title "Goulash Recipes".

Being from the South I grew up thinking of slum gullion as being goulash (that's what they called it at school) ... now that I am older and read cookbooks I consider goulash to be the original Eastern European (Polish/Hungarian) stew varient.

 

[BreezyCooking]

The goulash my mom always made basically consisted of chunks of veal sauteed in butter with celery, onions, diced tomatoes, & white wine, finished off with sauerkraut & sour cream stirred in & then served over egg noodles.

I make the same dish, although substituting chunks of chicken for the veal. It's delicious & is one of our favorites.

 

[kitchenelf]

I'm Hungarian so my goulash is the Eastern European version.

The Southern version i.e., ground beef, canned tomatoes, some sort of large tubular pasta usually - I have heard it referred to as goulash - it's all good in my book!

 

[skilletlicker]

Since I moved to the southern U.S. almost 34 years ago now, I've encountered descriptions of goulash which are more akin cooked ground beef put in tomato sauce with elbow macaroni. Akin to the canned Chef Boyardee brand.
Fraidy

Well Fraidy, like Andy M said, my Pennsyltucky parents called it slum gullion.

 

[XeniA]

"Slum Gullion"?! "Akin to canned Chef Boyardee"?! OUCH, you guys!

For me it's both, and I love 'em both. My grandmother's (and she was from England, living in New York) is the one described as "Southern" and the one my husband introduced me to is the Hungarian version.

Once again I must say "a rose by any other name smells as sweet"!!

 

[cjs]

I love goulash!! Both the European version and my mother's! It might be a mid-western dish, but she was in the Pacific Northwest (as were her parents), so it migrated! Her version was burger, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and tube pasta. Plus, different ingredients always seemed to be added that needed to be used from the frig...

 

[kyles]

I've just returned from Hungary and the goulash I had there was a soup rather than stew, with lots of paprika, beef, potatoes and carrot, Very good.

The goulash I've had at home is more like a stroganoff, thick and stew like.

 

[thumpershere2]

My grandma always had goulash when the family showed up on the weekends. It was called the "the Usual". Ground beef, chopped onions, her canned tomatoes, S/P . I make it pretty much the same only I cut up several slices of bacon and reserve a Tlb. or 2 of the bacon fat and add to the ground beef for a good flavor. The added bacon makes a difference to us.

 

[kitchenelf]

I will have to say "ouch" about the Chef Boyardee too - it's NOTHING like anything Chef Boyardee actually. It may be simple but it's still homemade and full of flavor, not preservatives and pretty much the easiest thing to make for dinner in a hurry and one of the top 10 comfort-type foods out there. It doesn't even require any spices - just salt and pepper.

Kylie - the Goulash I have had is more soup-like also and I believe that is more the original version. Everything evolves over time.

 

[YT2095]

oddly enough, I don`t make mine with potatoe in it, I serve potatoe With it, never tried it with pasta or noodles though?

I use stewing steak in it also, never mince, and loads of smoked paprika

 

[XeniA]

It may be simple but it's still homemade and full of flavor, not preservatives and pretty much the easiest thing to make for dinner in a hurry and one of the top 10 comfort-type foods out there.

Could not agree more!!

 

[Shunka]

I grew up with the slum-gullion form being called goulash and I still love it; especacially with good home-made buttered bread!! I also make the stew-like and also the soup-like forms of the (supposedly, depending on the authority I cook it for) real goulash. I like them all!!

 

[skilletlicker]

I will have to say "ouch" about the Chef Boyardee too - it's NOTHING like anything Chef Boyardee actually. It may be simple but it's still homemade and full of flavor, not preservatives and pretty much the easiest thing to make for dinner in a hurry and one of the top 10 comfort-type foods out there. It doesn't even require any spices - just salt and pepper.
...

[SIZE=-1]I meant no offense in including in my post a quote that compared the dish in question to the branded canned goods. (Fraidy, you done been throwed under a bus).

Neither did I intend any offense by referring to it as Slum Gullion.

My mother did a lot of things really well. Believe it or not, she financed some of her college by playing womens semi-professional basketball in the early 30's. She became a very sought after para-legal two or three decades before the word was invented. She was always a pillar in the community and became a leader in AARP. I say this only to take the edge off the indisputable statement that cooking was never a chore she neglected; it just was never, to say the least, her strongest suit. It is only faith in the grace and ennoblement of the risen, that gives me the courage say this.

She called it goulash. My Dad and I teased her by calling it Slum Gullion. It was her best dish and it was the first one I could decently cook without a recipe.

It is still my favorite comfort food.
[/SIZE]

 

[Elf]

So my pasta dish has a name, I have been making something very much like it and just called it pasta. It ismade in fry pan and the cooked pasta is add at the end.

 

[BigDog]

What you described is something we call American Chop Suey. Others call it slumgullion or goulash.

Yup! Reminds me, I gotta get my Mom's recipe! I remember it growing up! As Rachael Ray would say, Yum-o!

 

[kitchenelf]

skilletlicker - I think slum gullion is a familar term and don't think anyone took offense to it - Now - 'bout Chef Boyardee! lmao - And it's not Fraidy under the buss it would be YOU! lol (just kidding!!!!!!! And there are times when I just have to buy a can of Beefaroni for "old time's sake" - and it's still good, eaten one noodle at a time! )

Big Dog - You just saute some onions until cooked, add the ground beef until cooked, salt and peppering both, add a can of squished tomatoes and their juice and some tubular pasta - rigatoni is a favorite of ours, adjust seasoning (garlic powder can be added also) and eat! And Elf is right, the whole thing was made in a skillet except of course the pasta!

 

[Shunka]

My Mom would add chopped bell pepper too but I prefer chopped green chiles in this.

 

[Alix]

Very interesting thread. I never knew what slumgullion was before. I DID however think I knew what goulash was. My thought was the Hungarian version.

How cool it is that one word can mean so many different things. Evolution (of recipes and language) is pretty neat. (Elfie, I'm tempted here to mention BBQ and the many and varied ways that word is used...heeheeheehee!!)

So, having said that, did everyone post their recipes for slumgullion and goulash? And what particular subforum do I look in? Beef? (Going to check your link in a second Michael)