People, particularly people of Hungarian origin, have very strong feelings about goulash. Things you should know:
1) It’s one of Hungary’s national dishes;
2) It does not contain ground beef, spaghetti sauce, chili sauce, tomato soup, or Velveeta, you Midwestern heretic 
And most importantly…
3) That ultra-thick, beefy stew with onions and paprika you love so much? That’s not goulash!
That is pörkölt.
If you take pörkölt and add potatoes and vegetables and thin it out with water or broth, then you have goulash. At least, that’s what the fellow in this video claims. And as a matter of principle, I tend to believe guys who speak Magyar and cook over open fires.
What else do you need to know? Not Goulash, AKA, pörkölt, is incredibly delicious. It’s intensely beefy, richly spiced (but not hot—unless you want), and simple to make. Mashed potatoes are a match made in heaven (and probably totally inauthentic. Parsley potatoes or Spätzle, however, might pass muster with the correctness police.)
In short: make this, and for goodness’ sake, please don’t call it “goulash.”
(Adapted from ifood.tv)
-2 lbs. beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2-in. cubes (I actually used venison)
-1/2-3/4 c. red wine
-pinch tarragon, optional
-1 sm. onion, finely diced (not too much onion, please, it overwhelms the dish)
-1/2 Hungarian or red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
-1 Tbsp. butter + 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, or the equivalent amount of lard/bacon grease
-2 Tbsp. tomato paste
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 c. broth (I used vegetable)
-2 (heaping) tsp. good quality sweet Hungarian paprika
-1 tsp. dried marjoram
-1/2 tsp. caraway seed, preferably ground
-8 whole juniper berries, optional
-salt and pepper, to taste (I added a little smoked salt for that “cooked-over-an-open-fire” flavor)
-dash of cayenne pepper or hot Hungarian paprika
1. Put the meat in a bowl, pour over the wine, add the tarragon (if using), and marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions and red pepper, season with black pepper, and sweat until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook 60 seconds, stirring to prevent burning.
4. Next, add the meat, leaving the marinade behind in the bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the meat begins to color, lower the heat and stir in the paprika. You must stir constantly to avoid burning the paprika (which releases a bitter flavor). To be safe, you can add a splash of broth to the pot when you incorporate the paprika.
5. Add the caraway, garlic, marjoram, hot pepper, and juniper berries and pour in the remaining broth. Cover.
6. Reduce heat to a simmer and braise for at least 1 hr. and up to 3 hrs., depending on the toughness of your meat. Uncover for the last 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Adjust for salt, pepper, and spiciness, and serve over your favorite starch.
It was delicious. You could eat yourself into a stupor on this stuff. BTW, the potates were my idea
Well, in that case, I guess I’ll save you the leftovers for dinner
I’ve only had the American version of this dish. I think the authentic version looks and sounds AMAZING!
making goulash tonight for Koreans!!
Dear culinspiration, dear Christina!
As a naitive Hungarian, I must state that your recipe is flawless. The background info, the witty remarks… all in perfect place.
Kudos to you.
I stumbled upon this site as I tried to find the most authentic recipe in english for an American pen-pal (although in 2010 it should be keyboard-pal) of mine, and sent her the link instantly, because that’s EXACTLY how one prepares a pörkölt.
Just a small addittion to the otherwise perfect dish:
Instead of potatoes, you should serve this with galuska, a traditional dumpling.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup water
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 large pot filled with salted boiling water
Directions
Place large pot filled with salted water and bring to boil.
2
Combine eggs, salt, and water, beating well with whisk.
3
Add flour, a little at a time.
4
Add only enough flour to make a soft, sticky dough.
5
Let mixture rest for about 10 mins.
6
Beat mixture again.
7
Using the side of a teaspoon, spoon small amount of dough into boiling water.
8
Dipping the spoon in the hot water will remove the dough from the spoon (if you have a spaetzel maker, that makes is easier as you want very small noodles).
9
The noodles are done when they float to the top.
10
Remove from water with large slotted spoon, and place in colander.
11
Rinse with cold water.
You may want to make the dumplings in 2 or 3 batches so they dont overcook.
Erik,
Thanks for stopping by and for vouching for the authenticity of my recipe. I’m happy…and flattered! Thank you, too, for sharing the dumpling recipe. Sounds delicious—I’ll give it a try! I hope your keyboard pal enjoys the dish
the guy who claims thing in the video is the best goulash/gulyas maker on the earth. you can trust me I ate plenty of his goulashes
great article maaan! finally somebody said it!
This recipe is a gem. I’d say that the taragon and marjoram are both definitely optional, but all it all, it’s the real deal.
‘Nuff said, so as my grandma would say;
“…elég beszélni, csak enni!”
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