Hungarian Goulash

When I was a Girl Scout in Virginia we had an international event once a year. One year my troop chose Hungary, and we had a Hungarian women come and teach us how to make goulash. She said there were three things important to make authentic goulash. Never add flour, tomatoes, or peppers.

But then some people swear by those hings, so If I had to guess I would say it's like stew, there is no right or wrong way. Just make sure it has paprika, and lots of it.

Paprika should be bright red, and not brownish. To preserve both the color and the flavor of paprika store it in the fridge. She also said it had to be Hungarian paprika, I get mine in the huge Tones containers at Sams club, I think it's Spanish. So, um,...don't tell on me please?

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, greek yogurt, or creme fraiche

Check out the meatless version here

Saute
3/4 lb. beef strips
in
bacon drippings, butter, or oil
When cooked add
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
2 c. water
2 beef boulion cubes
(I used 1 regular and 1 sodium free)
2 Tbsp. paprika

Simmer over medium heat, covered, until most of the water is absorbed, but dont let is go dry. About 1 hour. You dont want it to cook faster than that either. Discard the bay leaves and add

3 - 4 potatoes, chopped
(about 1 baker sized per person)
1 qt. water
4 bouillon cubes
2 additional bay leaves
1 heaping T. paprika
1/4 t. black pepper
Simmer, covered until sauce is thick and potatoes can be crushed easily with a spoon. Crush a half dozen or so of them to mix in with the sauce a bit. This is really important since you will notice I don't add any thickener, just let the potatoes do the job. In the end the meat and potatoes aren't in a traditional sauce, its more like a thick paste that clings to the meat (in a good way!)