Hungarian Beef Porkolt
Hungarian beef stew. It is the twin of last year's Austrian goulash, but a bit simpler. I simplified it even more by making it in the oven at low temperature, so I don't have to watch it during the long cooking time. Of course, if you want to make it traditionally, you can cook it on the stovetop, exactly as I did with the Austrian goulash.
Porkolt is a basic stew in Hungarian cuisine. If you add some potatoes and vegetables, you'll get a wonderful goulash. If you leave the sauce less reduced and add some flour and sour cream, you have a paprikash. Porkolt can be made from any meat (beef, pork, chicken) just adjusting the cooking time.
Ingredients
800 g beef chuck/veal
1 large onion (about 200 g)
20 g sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 level teaspoon ground caraway
1 green pepper (long and pointed)
1 small ripe tomato (can be canned)
salt, pepper
1-2 tablespoons lard
Servings: 4
How to prepare hungarian beef porkolt
- Heat 1 good tablespoon of lard in a Dutch oven. Add the meat cut into larger cubes in batches. Don't crowd the meat in the pot so you can brown it easily. Let the pieces brown a bit on the first side, then flip to brown the other side. As you brown the meat, transfer it to a plate.
- In the remaining fat, add the finely chopped onion and reduce the heat to low. Add more lard if there isn't enough. Saute the onion, stirring occasionally, until very soft but without letting it brown (about 20-25 minutes).
- Remove the pot from heat and add the paprika and caraway. Stir well for 1 minute. The paprika needs to dissolve in the fat and fry but just a little, enough to intensify its flavor. Be careful not to burn it. Put the pot back on the heat.
- Add the meat and mix well until the meat is coated with paprika. Season with salt and black pepper. Add just enough water to cover the meat (about 500 ml). Bring the contents to a boil. Put the lid on the pot.
- Place the pot in the oven at 150C. Cook for 2 hours. After this time, taste the sauce and add more caraway or hot paprika if desired, or salt if needed. Check the meat, it should be tender, a fork should go in easily. If not, leave it in the oven with the lid on longer.
- When the meat is tender, remove the lid. Add the pepper cut in half lengthwise and seeded along with the crushed tomato. Put the pot back in the oven without the lid and let the stew reduce for 1 hour.
- Serve the stew with flour dumplings and 1 tablespoon of sour cream or with mashed potatoes and pickles.
Browning the meat in batches...
...until it changes color
Sauteing onion until soft
Adding paprika and caraway
Adding the meat
Covering with water
After 2 hours, add pepper and tomato, reduce for 1 more hour
