March 6, 2010: Hungarian Goulash

Goulash is the national dish of Hungary, although other countries in that geographical regions have their own variations. We fondly remember Aunt Alice's Slovak version. Whenever we flew out from Los Angeles to visit her in Chicago, she always had a goulash ready to serve on our first night. It was especially delicious in wintertime, when the temperature was sub-freezing and it was dark outside. Such a cozy memory.

Quite simply, goulash is a shepherd's soup or stew comprised of beef, paprika and onions. This version also includes the fragrant bouquet of tomatoes, red bell pepper, hot pale-green Italian frying peppers, garlic, and caraway seeds. The addition of egg noodles at end of the cooking gives the dish body and makes it a one-pot meal.

HUNGARIAN GOULASH

1 T bacon fat (or oil or butter/ghee)
1 large onion, chopped
1 T minced garlic
2 T sweet paprika (imported Hungarian is recommended)
1/2 t caraway seeds
2 pounds rump roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 medium parsnip, peeled and chopped
4 cups beef stock
2 pale-green Italian frying peppers, cut into 1-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
Sea salt, to taste
4 ounces wide egg noodles

Melt the bacon grease (or oil/butter) in a large, heavy casserole. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika and caraway seeds. Add the beef, parsnip and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add the peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for another 30 minutes. Stir in the egg noodles and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.

*How do you peel a tomato? I didn't know the first time the task was before me, that's for sure! I was making spaghetti sauce, hoping to impress my future mother-in-law because I was using fresh tomatoes instead of canned. It was a messy ordeal but I succeeded in garnering Toodie's respect. Years later, I learned a trick of the trade, which I'll now share with you. Bring a pot of water to the boil; drop the tomatoes into the hot water; remove from the heat; let the tomatoes stand in the hot water for 14 seconds (or more if the tomatoes aren't quite ripe); drain; the skins should easily slip off.