Cooks Country Goulash Recipes

HUNGARIAN GOULASH

Steps:

• Heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over high heat then add the olive oil.
• When the oil is hot add the stewing beef. Season with salt and pepper and sear the beef until it starts to brown. The beef will release liquid so continue searing on high heat, and the liquid will evaporate. Alternatively you could drain all the liquid.
• Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions soften and become translucent. Turn the heat down to medium-high.
• Add the paprika, caraway seeds, oregano, bay leaves and brown sugar to the skillet. Stir everything together and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, beef broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low for about 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender, stirring occasionally. The liquid will reduce down a lot as the beef cooks, so feel free to add more water as needed.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
• Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.

CLASSIC GOULASH

Steps:

• Cook and stir the ground beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown, about 10 minutes. Skim off excess fat, and stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir the meat mixture until the onions are translucent, about 10 more minutes.
• Stir water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and seasoned salt into the meat mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir macaroni into the mixture, cover, and simmer over low heat until the pasta is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and serve.

CZECH BEEF GOULASH (GULAS)

Steps:

• Peel the onion and chop it roughly. Cut the beef into 1-1.½-inch pieces.
• Melt the lard or vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a pot with a thick bottom (I use a heavy iron cast Dutch oven). Fry onions until almost brown. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Finally, add the crushed caraway seeds and stir for another minute.
• Add beef chunks, season with salt, and fry them from all sides until a golden brown crust is created. Expect the meat releases some juices when fried. Stir frequently, and scrape off the burnt residue on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula. If necessary, reduce the heat or add a spoon or two of water.
• Turn the stove on medium heat, and add ground pepper, sweet paprika, and tomato paste. Fry for 1 minute while stirring. The base can't get burnt, or else the goulash will taste bitter. Add 1-2 spoons of water to prevent burning.
• Pour in water, so the meat is almost covered. Add bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover with a lid and allow the beef to simmer for 2-2.5 hours or until soft.
• Check the goulash from time to time. Add some water if the level of liquid in the pot falls. When the gulas contains too much water, cook it uncovered at the end. The liquid will be reduced, and the gulas will gain a richer flavor and a nice red color. Stir occasionally.
• When the beef cubes are soft, add flour to thicken the stew. In the next step, I'll provide a helpful method for making the stew sauce smoother and more cohesive.
• Thickening of goulash with flour (optional): Take off the pot's lid. Using a small sieve, carefully dust the surface of the stew with a tablespoon of flour. Do not stir. Cover with the lid and leave to cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove the lid and stir. The sauce will be just thick enough!
• Remove bay leaves, add crushed garlic and dried marjoram, and stir. Season with salt to your liking. Cover with a lid and let it rest off heat for 10 minutes.

HAMBURGER GOULASH

Steps:

• Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet until beef is browned. Drain off grease from hamburger.
• Add soup, tomatoes and all other ingredients except pasta.
• Cook until mixture starts to boil. Add pasta and simmer until it is tender, about 12 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings

REAL HUNGARIAN GOULASH - COOK'S ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• Place rack in lower-middle position of oven and heat to 325°F.
• Sprinkle meat with 1 tsp salt and let stand 15 minute.
• In a food processor, combine paprika, peppers, tomato paste and 2 tsp vinegar until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
• Heat oil in Dutch oven until shimmering. Add onions and 1 tsp salt. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften but are not brown, 8-10 minutes.
• Stir in paprika paste and cook until onions begin to stick to bottom of pan, 2 minutes.
• Add beef, carrots and bay leaf. Stir until everything is well coated. Scrape down sides of pot, cover and place in oven. Cook, stirring every 30 minutes, until meat is tender, and liquid is 1/2" below top of meat, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove pot from oven and add enough warmed beef broth to bring liquid level up to 1/4" below top of meat. Do not cover meat in liquid! Replace pot cover and return to oven about 30 minutes more, until a fork slides in and out of beef easily.
• Meanwhile, put potatoes, 1/2 cup beef broth and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a rapid simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes.
• Skim fat off surface of stew. Stir in 1 tsp vinegar and sour cream, if using. Remove bay leaf and adjust seasonings. Serve over boiled potatoes.

COUNTRY GOULASH

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef, onion, and garlic in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Season beef with paprika, black pepper, and seasoned salt. Stir tomato sauce and tomato paste into the beef mixture until smooth. Pour water over the beef; add macaroni and stir.
• Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer mixture, adding water as needed to maintain your desired consistency, until the macaroni is tender yet firm to the bit, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning before serving.

COUNTRY GOULASH

Steps:

• In a large Dutch over or skillet brown hamburger and drain grease. Add onion and bell pepper to hamburger and cook on medium heat until onion is translucent. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat.Simmer for about 10 minutes or till noodles are done.