Hungarian Goulash

Goulash is a typical dish of traditional Hungarian cuisine consisting of a soup of meat , peppers and sweet paprika .

Legend has it that during the cold winters , sweet paprika is replaced by the spicy one of the same name so as to warm the body given the harsh temperatures. But if you are not a fan of spicy flavours, you can choose to stick to the strict summer recipe.

Although it is defined as a typical dish, it is also true that there are many variations, as the dish originates from remote villages where each housewife personalized the dish using the ingredients she had available: in short, what we today call fantasy, a time was pure necessity.

The history of Goulash

The term Gulash derives from Gulyàs and Gulyàs-leve which in Hungarian mean herdsman and herdsman's soup respectively. The origins of the dish are peasant. It was prepared in terracotta cauldrons on improvised fires to which cuts of meat and plenty of water were added.

Years ago, the dish resembled a brothy soup much more, since the humble origins of those who consumed it did not allow an excessively rich dish to be brought to the table. Today, the recipe we know is similar to a stew that preserves the traditional characteristics while finding an innovative touch.

It was the end of the 1700s that marked the transition for Hungarian goulash to an international dish , as it escaped the borders and arrived on the tables of the bourgeoisie and the wealthier classes of the Europe we know today.

Hungarian Goulash: practical details

Its cooking is very slow , in fact it takes around 3 hours , but to savor a delicious dish, well, you need to wait long enough! Nonetheless, time is the tyrant! This is why the preparation can be followed using a pressure cooker: the times are halved while keeping the juiciness of the meat intact.

The side dish that best suits Hungarian Goulash are potatoes or croutons , or boiled cabbage . If you prefer to give the dish more consistency, you can add rice during cooking to thicken the dish.

Hungarian Goulash: Ingredients

• 1 kg of veal stew
• 600 g of white onions
• 250 of tomato puree
• 3 red peppers
• 2 carrots
• 5 tablespoons sweet - or spicy paprika
• 1 level teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 table glass of red wine
• salt and extra virgin olive oil

Hungarian Goulash: procedure

• Finely dice the onions and carrots . Place the previously cut vegetables on the heat to create a sauté , adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and wait for them to brown.
• Add the tomato puree and the meat previously adapted to room temperature and leave on the heat for 1 hour at minimum heat.
• In the meantime, wash and clean the peppers , removing the seeds and cutting them into small pieces. Add the peppers to the cooking pan and leave on the heat for another hour or so , adding a glass of water where necessary to prevent the preparation from drying out excessively.
• At the end of the second hour, add the cumin seeds , paprika and a pinch of salt. Leave on the heat for at least 30 and a maximum of 60 minutes. To be sure of cooking, skewer the stew, it must be soft to the touch. The dish is ready, remove from the heat and serve!

To obtain a result even more similar to tradition, use a terracotta pan , so as to bring back memories of cooking like it used to be! All you need is a good red beer and a quality stew like that of Carne Genuina, which prefers traditional techniques, to create an all-Italian common thread: a healthy and traditional dish!

Enjoy your meal!