quietyard said:Agave, would love it if you could give us your goulash recipe. Mom made it when we were kids but I have no recipe that she left. Used to love that. 
Linda, per your request, I dug out my old recipe. I should say recipes. I had one that was my Great Aunt Ida's and one that was my Grandma Betty's. Both ladies were from Hungary and immigrated here as teens. Ida was my grandfather's sister and my grandmother's sister-in-law. The two got along well and were close friends. The two ladies did a lot of cooking and baking together. I noticed I had 3 recipes so I called my mom and asked her about them.
My mother who, was born here and can still speak but not read or write Hungarian, asked me what recipes I was looking at. Basically did I want the recipe clarification for Goulash (or as the Hungarians call it Gulyas) or did I want the recipe for Marhporkolt (beef stew) which is what 'Americans' commonly confuse for Goulash/Gulyas because it is closer to what the Germans and Austrians serve as Goulash.
As it was I had 2 recipes for Goulash and 1 recipe for Marhporkolt (beef stew) AND NO they are not the same!
So I combined my grandmother and great aunt's Goulash recipe as they were almost identical anyway. I'll also give a recipe for Marhporkolt (beef stew). I think that one was my grandmother's judging from the handwriting. I like my great aunt's recipe for cold cucumber salad so I'll include that.
O.K. from my mother. These were her VERY SPECIFIC words about authentic Hungarian cooking and the making of Goulash/Gulyas:
---It is between a soup and a stew in regards to consistency. It is not a 'stew'. Do not expect it to be.
---It is 'broth-y' and not dense packed with meat and vegetables. Don't expect it to be.
---NO ground beef, beans or noodles of any sort in it what so ever and there isn't any wine, turnips or caraway in it either! Her exact words, "Whoever started that bull s**t should be slapped."
---More of my mother's wit and wisdom in exact words, "Use some lard for Christ's sake, it won't kill you. I've eaten the stuff for years and I'm skinny as a rail."
Uh...true about my mom being skinny. Not sure, but I think lard is Keto/Paleo for those who care and the 'authentic' recipe does call for 3 Tablespoons worth. If you can't bring yourself to use lard then use bacon grease. Most of us have a can of that in the back of our fridges. If not use real, whole fat butter. If you can't do that then pretty much don't bother because there's no other substitutes. Personally I use the bacon grease when I make this. I only use lard for baking and not cooking (we won't tell mom though
).
---We don't have the same peppers in America that they have in Hungary. Best substitutions are a yellow wax hot Hungarian pepper if you like a little heat or a yellow bell pepper if you don't.
---This dish was traditionally made with pork not beef. Use beef since finding the right cut of pork here is difficult.
---DO NOT USE STEW MEAT! It is stew meat because it is scraps. It can't be sold for anything else. You are paying a premium for a package of odds and ends. If you are going to pay a 'premium' then buy a premium meat and buy a chuck roast. USE A CHUCK ROAST FOR THIS PLEASE.
---As for Paprika use good, fresh and high quality authentic Hungarian sweet Paprika or don't bother making the dish at all. Not to be snobby but I mean what's the point of making this with inferior paprika when the star of the dish IS the Hungarian paprika and you are using 1/4 cup!
YES, you are using 1/4 cup for Goulash--- not a 4 tablespoons full (which is what is used in the beef stew---which may have caused some confusion in the thinking on the dishes originally.)
AG'S FAMILY HUNGARIAN GOULASH
3 Tablespoons of pork lard (bacon grease and/or butter acceptable substitutes)
1 1/2 pounds yellow onions
1/4 CUP (yes...that says cup) of authentic Hungarian sweet paprika
1 1/2 lb chuck roast cut into 1 inch cubes
5 cloves of garlic; minced
2 red bell peppers; seeded and membranes removed and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 yellow wax Hungarian hot pepper OR 1 yellow bell pepper; seeded and membranes removed and cut into 1/2" chunks
2 large tomatoes; diced fine be sure to include the juice
2 medium carrots; peeled and diced
2 medium potatoes; peeled and diced into 1/2" chunks
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt; plus more for finishing
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 cups beef or veal broth
1.) Melt the lard or bacon grease/butter in a Dutch oven or great big and deep heavy cast iron skillet or big deep stock pot on medium-high and cook the onions until the begin to turn a nice gold.
2.) REMOVE THE POT/PAN FROM THE HEAT. Add the paprika. The residual heat will cook/toast the spice but keep it from burning and turning bitter.
3.) Add the beef and garlic and put the pot back on the medium-high heat. cook beef until it is no longer red. The beef will let off enough juice to keep the paprika from burning.
4.) Add your peppers. Cook about 5 minutes or so until they soften a bit. Add the carrots, diced tomatoes and their juices and the diced potatoes.
5.) Add beef or veal broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring beef to a boil.
6.) Reduce heat to medium and cover the pot and cook for 30 to 45 minutes. You want your beef to be fork tender but not falling apart like some kind of shredded meat. The meat should still have a little body and 'chew' to it but not be pink inside. It should be 100% cooked through.
Serve with cold cucumber salad and just a nice crusty bread for the broth. Can put a dollop of sour cream on top of the soup when serving.
THAT'S IT.....ENJOY!
