Hungarian Stew (Beef)

Hungarian Pörkölt is a stew with boneless meat, paprika, and some vegetables. It should not be confused with Goulash, a stew with more gravy or a soup (using meat with bones, paprika, caraway, vegetables and potato or different tiny dumplings or pasta simmered along with the meat), or Paprikás (using only meat, paprika and thick heavy sour cream). The traditional Hungarian stews: Pörkölt and Paprikás along with the traditional soup "Goulash" are considered to be the national dishes of Hungary. There are different pörkölt variations from region to region. In most parts of Hungary pörkölt is made with beef or pork. The word Pörkölt simply means "roasted". Pörkölt is made of meat, onion, and sweet paprika powder. Yellow Hungarian wax peppers, tomatoes or tomato paste, green pepper, marjoram, and garlic are common additions to the basic recipe. Pörkölt can be made with any kind of meat.

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1 Cut meat into bite sized pieces for searing. 2 Heat oil

3 Brown meat in small batches. Just get a sear on the chunks

4 Remove from heat and put aside on a plate (best to do small batches so to brown properly).

5 In the same pot used for the meat browning drop in the onions to begin cooking.

6 Cook onions until translucent

7 Add peppers, garlic and tomato to soften.

8 Add meat, stir well, remove from heat to add your seasonings careful not to burn the paprika

9 Put back on heat, cover meat with just enough broth/water to cover the meat

10 Bring to simmer and cover the pot partially.

11 Keep at a low simmer for at least two hours. Stirring occasionally, add additional broth as needed. You would want some evaporation as this is where the flavors develop.

12 Taste and add salt and pepper toward the end of cooking if needed.

13 Meat will be fork tender at the end of cooking.