Goulash or Beef Stew à la Hungary | Recipe

A variation on Hungarian goulash. An aromatic and tasty beef stew with lots of spice, paprika and herbs; and in this recipe, also a touch of Spain. A perfect dish for when autumn starts creeping in.

For four you’ll need 400 g sliced beef, 200 g spicy sausage (I used chorizo, the Spanish influence in this recipe), 150 g sliced sidepork, 2 onions, 2 Hungarian peppers, 5-6 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, 3 tsp powdered paprika, 1 tsp red chili flakes, 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp dried rosemary, 3 tbsp flour, 1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes, 5-6 dl beef broth, olive oil, salt and ground black pepper. Crème fraîche to serve.

Peel and halve the onions, then slice them thinly. Deseed the peppers, cut them in half and chop them. Cut the chorizo into 1/2 cm slices and cut the sliced pork into 1/2 cm pieces. If using a larger cut of beef cut it into slices about 2.5 cm long.

Heat a little oil in a casserole dish, Dutch oven or similar on high, then fry the sliced pork until it’s browned. Remove the pork from the pan, then braise the beef quickly until browned. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside, together with the pork.

Lower the heat to medium and add the sliced onions. Let fry until yellowish-brown. Move the onion to one side and add the chorizo to the freed space. Let the chorizo fry until it starts to release oil. Add the pressed garlic and stir and a few seconds later add the peppers and return the beef and pork to the stew.

Let fry a few minutes, stirring, then add the powdered paprika and chili flakes and stir. Add the flour, stirring to cover everything evenly, and let fry a few minutes more.

Add the beef broth and crushed tomatoes as well as the bay leaves and some black pepper. Bring to a simmer and let stew until the meat is tender and the goulash has thickened slightly, maybe 30-40 minutes. Add the dried thyme and rosemary, then simmer around 5 minutes more. Add salt and black pepper to taste and simmer a while longer, then remove from the heat.

Portion out the stew on plates or in bowls, add a tablespoon full of crème fraîche and serve with bread, rice or fried potatoes.

List of ingredients

Beef
Spicy sausage
Hungarian peppers
Onion
Garlic
Bay leaves
Powdered paprika
Red chili flakes
Dried thyme
Dried rosemary
Flour
Olive oil
Crushed tomatoes
Beef stock
Salt
Black pepper

On Goulasch
Hungarian goulash, also known as “gulyás” in Hungarian, is a hearty and flavorful stew that typically features chunks of beef, onions, peppers, and potatoes, seasoned with paprika and other spices. The key to its distinctive flavor is the generous use of Hungarian paprika, which can be sweet or hot. The dish has a long history and is closely associated with Hungarian culinary tradition.
Goulash has its origins in the Hungarian countryside, where herdsmen and shepherds would prepare a simple, one-pot meal using ingredients readily available to them. The dish was originally cooked outdoors in large cauldrons over an open fire.
Traditional Hungarian goulash is a slow-cooked stew. The beef is typically cut into cubes and browned before being simmered with vegetables and spices in a broth. The slow cooking process allows the flavors to meld, and the meat becomes tender. While the classic goulash recipe remains popular, there are regional variations and personal adaptations
Hungarian goulash has become a symbol of Hungarian cuisine and is appreciated for its robust flavors.

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