Hungarian Lamb Stew Recipes

AUTHENTIC PöRKöLT (HUNGARIAN BEEF AND ONION STEW)

Steps:

• In a heavy pot or Dutch oven fry the bacon until done. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat until golden. Add the bell peppers and garlic and cook for another two minutes. Add the beef and cook for a minute until some, but not all, of the pink is gone. Stir in the paprika and remove from heat.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Add just enough water to come up to just over the halfway point of the stew mixture (in other words, not so the water is covering it). Return to heat and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 90 minutes. If the stew isn't thick enough, continue to simmer uncovered for a few more minutes so that some of the liquid evaporates. Add salt to taste.
• Serve with Spätzle (in Hungary they are shorter and stubbier, so prepare the dough accordingly or just use whatever method/shape you prefer - the texture and flavor of the dough is the same regardless). Or serve with boiled potatoes or wide egg noodles. A side salad, particularly a cucumber salad, is traditional. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream.

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.

HUNGARIAN TOMATO-PEPPER STEW (LECSó)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large skillet, sauté the onion in bacon fat or oil over low heat for 5 minutes.
• Add pepper strips and cook another 15 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, and paprika, and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture resembles chunky tomato sauce.

CURRIED LAMB STEW

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown meat in oil in batches on all sides; remove from pan and keep warm. Cook onion and garlic in drippings until onion is tender. Add the curry, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne; cook and stir, 2 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the water, pineapple juice, apple and tomato sauce., Return meat to Dutch oven. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is tender, 1 hour. Remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream. If desired, serve with noodles or rice., Freeze option: Freeze cooled stew in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add water if necessary.

AUTHENTIC HUNGARIAN GOULASH (GULYáS)

Steps:

• Melt the pork lard or butter/oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot over medium high heat and cook the onions until beginning to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Add the beef and cook until the beef is just starting to brown, 7-10 minutes. Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, salt, pepper and caraway (if using) (note: paprika becomes bitter if at all scorched). Add the beef broth, bay leaf, return to the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for another 30-40 minutes or until the beef is nice and tender. Add salt to taste. Remove the bay leaf.

HUNGARIAN LAMB STEW

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels, reserving drippings. Cook onions in drippings until tender. Remove onions. Brown meat in drippings on all sides over medium-high heat. , Return bacon and onions to pan along with the paprika, salt, caraway, garlic and half the peppers. Add water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Add additional water, if necessary. , Stir in potatoes and remaining peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer 10 minutes longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

VEAL OR LAMB PAPRIKASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring the meat to room temperature. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meat in batches and cook until deep brown all over. Transfer to a plate.
• Add another drizzle of EVOO to the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter and let it melt into the oil. Add the onions and cook until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons paprika, the cumin, garlic, bay leaves, bell peppers and tomatoes, and stir to combine and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and wine then return the meat to the pot. Cover with a lid, transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
• Remove the meat to a platter and cover with foil. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce in the pot. Stir in the creme fraiche and cook until the sauce is reduced, 20 to 30 minutes. Return the meat to the pot. (If you are not serving immediately, cool the stew and then refrigerate until ready to use. Reheat in a moderate oven or over a medium flame.) Just before serving, stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon paprika to brighten the flavor.
• For garnish, fry the caperberries in a little EVOO until crisp. Top the stew with a few dollops of creme fraiche and the fried caperberries. (The green, red and white colors signify the Hungarian flag.)
• Any leftover stew is great for lunch or with poached eggs.