Gulyas/Goulash
By the way - GREAT to see you.
OK, gulyas facts:
A gulyas with more broth is considered a gulyas soup and a gulyas with less broth is considered gulyas meat. A gulyas never has wine in it, never has flour in it, it never has a brown sauce in it, and the only spice is caraway - NO OTHER. The only garniture in a gulyas is either diced potatoes or galuska (egg dumplings - recipe to follow). You can use lard and/or bacon and chopped onions are a must. You can use fresh tomatoes or tomato puree, garlic, sliced green peppers or hot cherry peppers to make it spicy, etc. Also, the more parts of beef and beef innards you use the tastier the dish will be.
Gulyas (goulash)
2 medium onions
2 TBS lard or bacon grease
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, or round, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 pound beef hearts (optional), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, chopped and crushed
pinch of caraway seeds
salt
2 TBS
Noble Rose paprika or other Hungarian paprika (do not use Spanish or other, it will only color the food versus flavoring it)
1 medium-sized ripe tomato
2 green peppers 1 pound potatoes
galaska (recipe to follow)
Have 2 1/2 quarts water warming on stove. If you use cold water where indicated in this recipe it will tend to make the meat tough while it is frying.
Peel onions, chop coarsely and saute in lard in heavy 6-8 quart Dutch oven. Heat should be low so as not to brown onions.
When onions are transparent add beef and beef heart. Stir mixture for about 10 minutes while mixing meat and onions together.
Crush the garlic, caraway seeds, and salt using the flat side of a heavy knife.
Take Dutch oven off of heat and stir in rapidly the paprika and garlic mixture. Immediately after the paprika has been absorbed add the warm water mentioned above. Cover and cook on low for about 1 hour.
Peel tomato and cut into 1-inch pieces or use some tomato puree. Core and slice green peppers into rings, peel potatoes and cut into a 3/4-inch dice.
Check after an hour to see if meat is tender, if not braise longer. Add the tomato, green peppers and enough water to give it a soup consistency
or NOT if you want a gulyas meat. Add a little salt and simmer slowly for another 30 minutes.
Add potatoes and cook until done. Adjust salt, add hot cherry pepper pods if using.
Cook dumplings in stew:
Galuska, levesche (little dumplings)
1 egg
3 TBS flour
pinch of salt
Mix everything together. Spoon mixture into boiling soup mixture using 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Cook in soup for 2 to 3 minutes just before serving.