Peasant Goulash (Hungarian)
This dish is extremely filling. I also add a little sour cream to finish this and enhance the flavor.
This dish is extremely filling. I also add a little sour cream to finish this and enhance the flavor.
- Carbohydrate 17.8288074674072 g
- Cholesterol 82.3355715 mg
- Fat 13.8638065700112 g
- Fiber 1.7704158098277 g
- Protein 35.6120068634758 g
- Saturated Fat 5.22747428975199 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (249g)
- Sodium 484.327824667047 mg
- Sugar 16.0583916575795 g
- Trans Fat 1.73511510967005 g
- Calories 329 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook Meat, onion & garlic in shortening, drain. Add the remaining ingredients.
- Heat to boiling, reduce, cover and simmer until tender 2-2 1/2 hrs.
- Mix together 1/4 c water & 2 T flour and stir into mixture at the end, boil and stir for 1 min, serve over egg noodles.
Tenderizing tough cuts of beef requires maintaining a steady simmer rather than a rolling boil, because high heat tightens muscle fibers and forces out moisture. Brown the stew meat thoroughly in shortening over medium-high heat to build deep savory compounds through the Maillard reaction, then drain excess fat before introducing liquids. Paprika dissolves easily in fats, so blooming the spice directly with the onions and garlic releases its fat-soluble pigments and flavor compounds before the watery ingredients dilute the pan. Simmering the mixture covered for two to two and a half hours allows connective tissue, primarily collagen, to slowly convert into gelatin, which thickens the sauce naturally while softening the meat.
Judging Doneness Without a Thermometer
Evaluations of doneness in braised dishes rely entirely on tactile and visual feedback rather than internal temperatures. Press a cube of beef firmly against the side of the pot using the back of a spoon; properly rendered meat should offer negligible resistance and yield immediately into loose, tender shreds. Visual cues include a sauce that clings thickly to the back of a spoon and beef edges that appear slightly frayed rather than cleanly cut. Stirring in a slurry of flour and water during the final minute gelatinizes the starches completely, imparting a glossy sheen and a stable viscosity.
- Watery sauce usually stems from insufficient reduction time or skipping the flour slurry step at the end of cooking.
- Tough, chewy meat indicates either undercooking before the collagen has time to break down or boiling the beef too vigorously.
- Muted flavor often results from using stale, oxidized paprika that lacks aromatic potency.
