Hungary is considered the homeland of goulash, where it was usually cooked in cauldrons with a large amount of liquid, so that the dish sometimes looked more like a thick soup. Today, there are analogues of goulash in many cuisines of the world, including Russian. Moreover, everyone has their own, special recipe for such a treat, which each housewife also alters to her taste.
Instructions
Step 1
Secrets of making delicious goulash
There is no single recipe for making goulash today. Nevertheless, there are basic principles in the preparation of this dish, for example, it is customary to cook it in a bowl with a thick bottom from meat cut into small pieces, which are stewed in a sauce over low heat along with herbs and vegetables.
Step 2
When deciding to cook goulash, pay special attention to the choice of meat. As a rule, it is customary to cook this dish from beef, but in many recipes it is allowed to use pork, lamb or veal. Very rarely, goulash is made from rabbit or poultry. But no matter what meat you choose, proceed from the following principle - the younger it is, the more tender and juicy it will turn out in the end, subject to the cooking technology, of course. Having decided to cook goulash according to the classic recipe, that is, from beef, give preference to a shoulder blade with a thin layer of bacon, hind leg pulp, brisket or tenderloin.
Step 3
After choosing the meat, peel it of cartilage, tendons and film, wash and cut into small pieces of approximately the same size. Then place on a cloth to get rid of excess liquid - then it will cook faster and more evenly. A slightly fried crust on meat is one of the nuances of real goulash for connoisseurs of this dish, because it preserves the juiciness of the meat.
Step 4
When preparing beef goulash, fry the meat not in lard, but in olive or other vegetable oil - the dish will turn out juicy, but at the same time not too fatty. There should be very little oil, just so that the meat does not stick to the pan during frying. Salt it at the very end so that the beef cooks faster and is not tough. In addition to salt, the following spices can be added to goulash: ground black or allspice, bay leaves, paprika, caraway seeds, ground coriander and suneli hops - all of them will go well with both beef and vegetables. From the latter, you can add onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli or kohlrabi to goulash. Well, some recipes even allow the use of cabbage and cranberries.
Step 5
When preparing goulash, pay great attention not only to meat, but also to the sauce in which the beef should be stewed and of which there should be quite a lot, because in the old days such a dish was considered more the first than the second. If too much has evaporated during the preparation process, add stock or water, but do not make it too runny.
Step 6
Goulash in Russian
Having decided to cook goulash the way it is customary to do it in Russia, fry the beef in vegetable oil in a cauldron or other dish with a thick bottom. Save the finely chopped carrots and onions separately, then add a couple tablespoons of flour or starch for a creamy sauce. As soon as the flour turns pinkish, put in tomato paste or fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced, and water or broth soon. Goulash sauce also requires special spices, for example, ground black pepper, paprika, caraway seeds or bay leaves - it all depends on the personal preferences of the culinary specialist.
Step 7
When the meat is crispy, pour over the tomato sauce - it should completely cover the pieces. If the consistency is too thick, add warm water. Then cover the cauldron with a lid, make the flame small and simmer the goulash for 1-1.5 hours, stirring from time to time. After such a long simmering, the sauce will become viscous and nourish the pieces with spices. About 15 minutes before the end, when the meat has softened, salt the dish. Then turn off the heat and let stand for a while before serving.
Step 8
For a side dish, prepare mashed potatoes, the delicate consistency of which is the best match for goulash. In Russia, meat prepared in this way is also often served with buckwheat porridge. Both side dishes can be placed on the edge of the plate - in this case, the goulash will be on the other side of the dish, or in the center of the stew. Before serving, the goulash should be garnished with finely chopped herbs - parsley or cilantro.
Step 9
Traditional Hungarian goulash
Make Hungarian goulash. In the homeland of this dish, it is customary to cook it in a slightly different way. Put the chopped and dried beef in a cauldron and stew in its own juice until half cooked over medium heat. When the liquid has completely evaporated, fry the slices until golden brown, add the potatoes and bell peppers, cut into cubes, pour in warm broth or water. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until ingredients are tender.
Step 10
About 15 minutes before the end, put the chopped tomatoes in the cauldron, salt, add paprika and other spices to taste. You can also add minced garlic clove for a special flavor and aroma. And if you want to end up with Hungarian goulash, prepare a cool unleavened dough by adding chopped garlic and herbs to it. Divide it into small pieces - the dumplings - and place them in the almost finished goulash. After 10 minutes, the dish will be ready.
Step 11
Beef goulash with broccoli recipe
You can also cook beef goulash according to a different recipe, using various vegetables and sour cream instead of tomatoes. Fry the meat as described above, and then simmer until almost cooked in the pre-cooked broth. Half an hour before the end of cooking, fry coarsely chopped carrots and onions in a separate pan, add flour, and after a couple of minutes - 150 g of sour cream. Stew a little and add broccoli to them, which should be about half as much as meat. Add the prepared vegetables to the goulash saucepan, season with salt and pepper, add bay leaves for flavor and simmer for 10 minutes. Goulash prepared in this way turns out to be no less tasty and juicy.
