Today it is -17 degrees C in Sofia, and with freezing temperatures I always become attracted to recipes for hearty soups and stews. Nothing warms you up faster that a steaming bowl of soup, and with my upcoming trip to Austria I have goulash on the brain. Goulash is actually a traditional Hungarian dish which derives its name from gulyás which is Hungarian for herdsman. Goulash was originally a dish only served only by herdsmen, and did not become popular among normal and regal society until much later into the late 18th to 19th century. The dish was traditionally made in a cast iron pot, and was a great utilitarian dish due to the lack of effort that is required for preparation and cooking. The version I have created is an American version of Goulash, and is different as it has ground beef instead of pork, lamb or beef shoulder. The traditional Hungarian Goulash includes tougher meats that tenderize while cooking, and the fat melts into the stew as it cooks. Hungarian goulash also has carrots and potatoes added, but different versions of the dish are served everywhere from Austria throughout the Slavic world all the way to Australia! In Austria they serve goulash without potatoes and more onion, and they leave out the tomato all together. This recipe is a variation of the Austrian version with tomato. All versions to be authentic, should include paprika.
What you will first notice with goulash is that it is a very simple dish. Don't let this turn you off! I feel some of the absolute best recipes are with a few ingredients prepared well. I roll my eyes when I see 50 ingredients in a recipe, or when they require you purchasing obscure things like fish paste or the oil of some obscure flower. If the recipe is going to cost me a $100 investment for 1/2 tsp. of this and that, I scream SKIP!! Not that I am against fish paste, I love Chinese food. I am just not going to drive all over Atlanta looking for fish paste, when I know I can call the local Chinese restaurant. The chinese take out is going to be a thousand times better and cheaper than my attempt, but that is just me. Some of you out there might be Asian food masters, to you iron chefs, I tip my hat.
This dish is simple to make, perfect for the cold weather, and downright delicious. What else can you ask for? Oh yeah, it is also inexpensive to make, and feeds a lot of people. This is sure to be a classic at my house, and I hope at yours too! So let's get started...
Ingredients:
1 red onion-sliced
1 tomato-chopped with juices or canned 14 oz or 128 g
1 red pepper-chopped into 1/2 inches
1 green pepper-chopped in 1/2 inches
1 Zucchini- sliced into scallops of ample thickness
1 pound mushrooms-sliced
1 pound ground beef, or 453 grams кайма if you are Bulgarian
1/2 tablespoon thyme or to taste
1/2 tablespoon Oregano or to taste
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
Hot Sauce (If you are Southern like me, and want a little kick)
After cleaning and gathering all your ingredients, you need to chop and dice all of your vegetables. I started with the mushrooms by removing the stems and slicing them thin. I use the stems as well occasionally, but today the stems were hard and I wasn't pleased with them. When chopping red or green peppers to make it easy, remove the cap and cut out the seed root. The seed root will come out very easily, as you can see below.
After removing the seeds, cut your pepper in half and lay it flat. This will make slicing very easy.
After chopping all of your vegetables, put them aside for easy accessibility. You will add them all at the same time, so feel free to put them in a bowl together.
Next remove your beef from the refrigerator, and begin to brown it on medium-high heat.
If you would like drain the fat from the beef, and add four tablespoons olive oil. I used the fat drain from the meat, because it is a stew and who doesn't want that beefy flavor. Remove the beef from the pan, and add 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil to the pan. If you would like to drain the fat, add four tablespoon olive oil to the pan after draining the meat. I like to cook my beef in a non-stick skillet, we will later move all of the ingredients to a large stew pot. If you would like to do the whole recipe in a stew pot, you can.
Add all of your vegetables to the oiled pan after it has been heated properly, which should take only a minute. Keep your pan on medium high heat, and toss your vegetables in the oil for about 5 mins.
After cooking for about 5 mins, mix all of the vegetables, meat, dry ingredients and tomatoes into a large stew pot.
You can use fresh tomato or canned, this time I used canned with the juice. Remember to add the tomato juice, if you forget add one can of water.
The can I bought said chopped tomatoes, but as you can see it was kind of like salsa. Be careful what brand you buy, and make sure it has plenty of juice. It worked out ok, but just a tip. If you have never used the vegetable brand, be careful!
After adding all of your wet ingredients, add your spices. I like thyme and oregano in my goulash, and to add that special warm me up moment Louisiana Gold hot sauce!
You can use Tabasco if you like, and on many dishes I prefer it! With goulash I wanted a dull heat without a strong vinegar bite, and Louisiana Gold does the trick!
After spicing it up, let it simmer covered for about 30 mins.
After letting all the flavors mix and simmer, serve it up hot! Don't forget a side of hot sauce, just in case. You never know if a Southerner is coming to dinner!
