Austrian Goulash

Hans has been away the majority of the summer so we thought we would throw him a party when he came home yesterday. Once your children grow up and leave home, anytime you get them all together is a party. When I asked him what he wanted to eat, naturally he turned to an Austrian favorite, Omi’s Goulash. Originating from Medieval Hungary, goulash can be traced back to the 9th century. Today it is a staple all over central Europe with each country adding it’s own twist to the basic ingredients. Once considered a peasant food, goulash gets it’s name from early Hungarian herdsman called “gulayás”. The shepherds would cut meat into cubes and slowly stew it in a heavy iron kettle over an open fire. They would then dry the meat in the sun and it could easily be carried with them as they followed their flocks across the plains. To reconstitute the meat they simply added water and reheated it, then gathered around the campfire and dipped into the communal pot with large spoons.

As with many of Omi’s recipes, details are a little sketchy when it comes to quantity. I have seen her make a pot of goulash for 50 people following one basic rule. Equal amounts of meat and onions. For our family of five (assuring the requisite leftovers), I use three pounds of beef and three pounds of onions.

Ingredients 

• 3 pounds beef stew meat diced in 1 1/2″ cubes
• 3 pounds of yellow onions, peeled and sliced thinly
• 3 TBLS Paprika
• 2 TBLS tomato paste
• Fat for frying
• 1 tsp. marjoram
• 2 TBLS Caraway seeds
• Dash of white vinegar
• Salt and Pepper

I like the meat cut into about 1 1/2″ cubes. If the butcher makes them a little too big, I go after them with a pair of kitchen shears. Call me crazy but it has always given me the willies to cut through raw meat with a knife. Using scissors makes it feel like more of a craft project.

Generously salt, pepper the meat. Fry the beef in small batches until browned (in a little cooking oil). Reserve the cooked meat and add the sliced onions to the same pot. Saute until golden. Return the meat to the pot and sprinkle in the paprika, stirring everything gently to combine. Add the tomato paste, 1 cup water and spices. Cover and let simmer until the meat is tender (a couple of hours). If the goulash seems to be getting too dry, add a few tablespoons of water.

Goulash is one of those meals that gets better with age and can easily be made ahead of time and reheated (just like the Hungarian shepherds did!) For Hansl’s party we ate the goulash with an Austrian dumpling called spaetzle and a green salad.