Tender beef in a concentrated onion and paprika sauce. This is pörkölt, the Hungarian stew often called goulash abroad.
Serves 4 | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: 170 minutes | Total: 190 minutes
Times include the chilling, soaking or resting stated in the method. Cooking times are a guide: check tenderness and doneness before serving.
Ingredients
800 g beef shin or chuck, in 3 cm cubes
350 g onions, finely chopped
30 g lard or 30 ml sunflower oil
20 g sweet Hungarian paprika
150 g pale Hungarian pepper, deseeded and chopped
150 g tomato, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300 ml water, plus extra as needed
Salt and black pepper
Method
Heat the fat in a heavy lidded pan. Cook the onions gently for 15 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden at the edges.
Add the beef and cook for 8 minutes, turning to colour it lightly.
Remove from the heat, stir in the paprika, then immediately add the pepper, tomato, garlic and 150 ml water.
Cover and simmer very gently for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Add the remaining water in small splashes only as needed to prevent sticking: the sauce should stay concentrated.
Uncover and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the beef yields easily to a fork and the sauce coats it. Add a little water if the meat needs longer.
Season and serve with boiled potatoes or nokedli made separately. There is no flour or sour cream in this base recipe.
Variations and substitutions
Choose fresh, sweet Hungarian paprika rather than smoked paprika. Pork shoulder makes sertéspörkölt: simmer until tender, often about 90 minutes. A hot pepper can be added for heat. Serve sour cream separately if wanted rather than stirring it into the stew.
Homegrown and seasonal produce
This dish uses stored onions and preserved summer tomatoes and peppers. Frozen pepper pieces work well; avoid adding unnecessary stock, which can overwhelm the paprika.
Storage and freezing
Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or below. Eat within 48 hours. Freeze in labelled portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Defrost in the fridge, use within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
Find more ideas in the complete recipe menu. Explore our growing guide finder and From Garden to Kitchen guide, or plan your next harvest with Your Growing Companion.
Stock photograph illustrating ingredients or a serving idea. These recipes are practical ideas to try; they are not presented as all having been tested in my kitchen.
