Recipe Hungarian Goulash

[The Late Night Gourmet]

As I mentioned in the Cookalong thread, I was somewhat disappointed with this, even though I like it. I was expecting a life-altering experience, but instead what I got was...beef stew. Well, as it turns out, that's what a goulash is. The paprika sets it apart somewhat from what you normally get in a stew, but otherwise it's a hearty, soul-warming bowl for a cold autumn day.

After making the recipe, I noticed a less traditional treatment on on of my favorite sites, Serious Eats. Chef Lopez-Alt uses vinegar and soy sauce to bring out the flavor. I ended up adding a splash of vinegar, which really woke things up. He also recommends using chicken stock instead of beef stock, since beef stock doesn't really taste like beef (which is true), which chicken stock has a more natural flavor. I normally make my own stock, but I didn't have time.

And, while I've read several places saying that sour cream is Not Traditional, I find that its presence sets this apart from being a standard stew. I didn't have any peppers when I decided to start the recipe, and I really wish I had picked up some Hungarian peppers: these have a good heat level, which really would have elevated the dish.

I also did what I always do when a recipe involves beef: I used some really good cuts. And, in what I feel is a really inspired move, I used the fat I trimmed from the beef as the "oil" in my pan. Brisket and strip steak have a lot of fat, which you don't want in a stew. But, that fat by itself at least partly melts down to make an excellent saute for the onions.

Ingredients

1 pound beef brisket
1 pound strip steak
1 pound onion, diced
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
5 cloves garlic, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 carrots, chopped
4 cups stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjusted to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, adjusted to taste

Directions

1. Trim the fat from the brisket and strip steak, but don't discard. Cut beef into chunks, and set aside.

2. Place fat into a large pot on medium heat. Cook the fat until the oils start to fill the pan. The brisket fat won't melt completely, but it will impart an excellent flavor. After a few minutes, extract the fat with tongs and leave the oil in the pan.

3. Saute the onions until they start to brown, about 8 minutes.

4. Add beef and paprika to the pan and stir to coat. Continue to stir frequently for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir frequently for another 5 minutes.

5. Add potatoes, potatoes, and carrots and stir to coat. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Mix in the stock, tomato paste, thyme, vinegar, caraway seeds, and bay leaf, scraping the bottom of the pan to blend in anything that's stuck. Bring to a boil, then lower heat back to medium. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Remove bay leaf. Serve with sour cream if desired.