Nov 17, 2004
Good basic recipe that can be adjusted to taste. Hungarian goulash should be a flexible recipe, and you should taste it and adjust it when it is almost cooked, to suit your own taste. I am of Hungarian origin and these changes come close to my grandma’s goulash: there is no need to separate the onions from the meat, stir fry the onion, then add the meat, stir fry again, the add all other ingredients to the same pot except the water, stir fry again, then add the water last. Feel free to vary this according to what you have at home. Tomato instead of tomato paste, Or even no tomato!
I add 2-3 tbsp more paprika (the sweet kind, not the hot kind) half as much tomato paste, and may add some chopped green pepper (no more than 1/2 cup), a bit more garlic, I always add 2-3 tbsp soy sauce, and even a bit of spicy chili sauce...to enhance the beefy flavour.... the key is to let the 'gravy' form by stewing it until the juices thicken without any flour added; the cheaper cuts of beef are better for this, as they are more flavourful and provide more 'gravy'.( I use boneless short rib roast that I cube, so that I know the consistency will be uniform) if at the end the stew seems watery, then boil it down until you like the consistency, if it seems dry, then add some water.
—ARGELL
