Bográcsgulyás

(Hungarian beef & pepper stew)

Yield: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Lard or oil		2-3 Tbsp
Onions	sliced thinly	2 each
Garlic	minced	1-2 cloves
Paprika		2-3 Tbsp

Beef, chuck or roast	cubed	2 1/2 lbs
Water or beef stock		1 quart
Salt and pepper		to taste

Peppers, red or green	seeds and ribs removed, chopped	2 each
Potatoes, russet	peeled, diced	2 each

Basic Steps: Sauté → Simmer

Heat the lard or oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high flame. Add onions and sauté until translucent and starting to brown. Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in paprika until well blended.
Add beef, water or stock, salt and pepper and return pot to flame. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1-2 hours. Occasionally skim excess fat that floats to the surface.
Add chopped peppers and potatoes and simmer another 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve in bowls.

Add 2 tsp ground caraway along with the paprika if you like. Add 2 tsp marjoram with the peppers.
The potatoes help thicken the goulash. You can eliminate them if you like.
Add csipetke noodles to the simmering goulash during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
Add 1/4 cup tomato paste to the sautéed onions after stirring in the paprika. Add a little water and simmer 3-4 minutes before adding the beef and stock or water. Be careful not to add too much as the flavor of tomatoes should never be allowed to dominate over the peppers and paprika.
Try to use a fine quality paprika as its flavor is central to this dish. Gulyás is traditionally somewhat spicy from the use of hot Hungarian paprika. You can use a milder paprika if you like. Or add one or two hot peppers along with the bell peppers for a spicier stew.
Substitute cubed pork or veal or some sausages for part of the beef.
Add some chopped carrots, green beans or cabbage to the simmering stew along with the peppers and potatoes if you like.
Some cooks use flour to thicken their goulash, but this practice is very much frowned upon by true Hungarians.
Ürügulyás: Substitute lamb or mutton for the beef.
Gulyásleves (Goulash soup): Add enough extra stock or water give the consistency of a soup and serve as a first course.

Bográcsgulyás (boh-GRACH goo-YAHSH), or goulash, is one of the classics of Hungarian cuisine. Variations of this basic dish are popular throughout Central Europe. "Bogrács" is Hungarian for "kettle", and "gulyás" was originally the word for "cowboy". Today the word refers to both the herdsmen and the stew they first cooked in their kettles.
Serve gulyás with csipetke, mashed potatoes or a hearty bread.