Content
Many dishes of national cuisines of the world have firmly entered modern life, but have retained the traditional nuances of cooking. The classic Hungarian pork goulash is a thick soup with vegetables that is great for lunch or dinner. Depending on your taste preferences, you can change the composition of the ingredients, choosing the perfect combination.
How to make Hungarian pork goulash
This traditional European dish originated centuries ago as shepherd's soup. Among the original ingredients are potatoes, beef and paprika. Over time, culinary experts came to the conclusion that pork makes the final result more tender and balanced.
To get the perfect finished product, you need to take care of the freshness of the main ingredient. When buying pork for a Hungarian goulash recipe in a supermarket, they examine it, giving preference to pinkish meat without bruising. At the slightest sign of winding or blue discoloration, as well as an unpleasant odor, you should refrain from buying such a product. Goulash can even be prepared from frozen meat, but you should give preference to softer cuts - ham and loin.
A distinctive feature of the Hungarian recipe is coarsely chopped meat. The size of the pieces often resembles a shish kebab. The average size of each of them is from 3 to 4 cm. It is believed that during cooking, such meat gives better taste to the broth, and also becomes very juicy and tender inside. To obtain the correct consistency of pork, it needs a long heat treatment - up to 1.5-2 hours.
The next essential component of any goulash is potatoes. In the classic Hungarian recipe, it is cut into large pieces. An average potato of 150-200 g is chopped into 6-8 parts. The ingredient is added towards the end of cooking so that the tubers are not too boiled.
Classic Hungarian goulash - very thick soup with meat and potatoes
Modern Hungarian goulash recipes include more than just potatoes. Many housewives add onions, tomatoes, carrots and bell peppers to it. There are even regionalized recipes with sauerkraut, beans, and pumpkin.
Fresh bacon is best for pre-frying vegetables. It is heated to cracklings, and onions, carrots and bell peppers are sautéed in the resulting mass. For a classic Hungarian pork goulash recipe, you can use fresh brisket and even salted lard. Many housewives use pre-melted fat.
Among the spices for the Hungarian dish, paprika is the main favorite. It makes the soup more spicy and vibrant. Initially, it is she who provides the rich color of the finished product. Many modern housewives replace it with red pepper and tomato paste. Also, the taste is enhanced with garlic, coriander and bay leaves.
You need to cook Hungarian goulash calmly and unhurriedly. In order for pork and vegetables to languish properly, the dishes must have a thick bottom and walls. A cast iron stewpan or a classic cauldron is best.If the finished dish is too thick, it can be diluted with water to the desired consistency.
The classic recipe for Hungarian pork goulash
The traditional cooking method involves a large amount of hot seasoning. You should also pay attention to the ratio of meat to potatoes - 1: 1. For 1 kg of pork and this amount of potatoes, you need:
- 200 g smoked bacon;
- 1 onion;
- 3 glasses of water;
- 5 tbsp. l. paprika;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 1 egg;
- salt to taste.
It is paprika that gives Hungarian goulash that very spicy taste.
The first step is to melt the lard to get fat. It is cut into cubes or strips and stewed over high heat until greaves are formed, and then removed with a slotted spoon. Then pork chopped in large pieces is fried in fat. First, juice will come out of it, and only then it will begin to fry.
As soon as the pork is ready, chopped onions and bell peppers are added to it. All ingredients are poured with water and then seasoned with paprika. A Hungarian dish is cooked for about an hour over low heat, then coarsely chopped potatoes and eggs are added to it. The readiness of the goulash is checked by the state of the potato - if it is soft, you can salt it and remove the pan from the heat. Experienced chefs advise to insist the dish for about half an hour and only then serve it to the table.
Hungarian pork goulash soup
In modern realities, housewives often use additional ingredients that improve the taste of the finished product. Considering that such a national feature of Europeans is not very suitable for the majority of Russian inhabitants, paprika in the recipe is most often replaced with garlic.
To prepare delicious Hungarian pork goulash with potatoes, you will need:
- 1 kg of tubers;
- 1 kg loin;
- 100 g bacon;
- 1 onion;
- 1 carrot;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 2 tbsp. l. paprika;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 2 medium tomatoes;
- 2 bay leaves;
- salt to taste;
- 2 glasses of water;
- 1 glass of tomato juice.
Tomatoes can be added to Hungarian goulash to get the right color
As in the original recipe, pork bacon is fried first until it becomes cracklings. Large pieces of pork are quickly glazed in the resulting fat. Then shredded vegetables are added to it - onions, carrots, bell peppers, garlic and tomatoes. The mixture is stewed for 5-10 minutes with constant stirring, then poured with water and tomato juice, and also seasoned with paprika and bay leaves.
All ingredients are boiled for 45 minutes, then potatoes cut into large cubes are added to them. As soon as it becomes soft, the soup is salted to taste and water is added as desired. Goulash is insisted for half an hour, after which it is served with white bread.
Hungarian pork goulash with gravy
Most people in the post-Soviet space are used to the fact that this dish has too thick broth. Many housewives have adapted Hungarian goulash to their own tastes, preferring the timely addition of gravy to long-term cooking.
To prepare such an original dish you will need:
- 1 kg of pork;
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 100 g of melted fat;
- 100 g flour;
- 2 tbsp. water;
- 1 large carrot;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 1 onion;
- 1 tbsp. l. paprika;
- 5 cloves of garlic;
- 1 bay leaf;
- salt and seasonings to taste.
The main course and the gravy are prepared in different containers and only in the middle of the recipe are combined in a large saucepan with a thick bottom. Pork is fried in a frying pan in hot fat. As soon as the crust appears, chopped vegetables are added to them - carrots, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Hungarian pork for goulash is stewed for about half an hour.
Hungarian goulash gravy is prepared in a separate frying pan
During this time, flour is fried in a separate dry frying pan, stirring occasionally.As soon as it turns golden, pour in water in a thin stream, stir actively to avoid the formation of lumps. The prepared gravy is poured into meat and vegetables. Potatoes cut into cubes are also added there. After that, the dish is stewed until all the ingredients are fully cooked, then season with paprika and salt to taste.
Hungarian goulash with pork and chipets
One of the most popular recipes for a traditional dish involves the use of a large number of meat ingredients, coupled with dumplings. Such a Hungarian soup is somewhat reminiscent of a traditional hodgepodge.
To prepare it you will need:
- 400 g pork;
- 200 g smoked ribs;
- 200 g of hunting sausages;
- 200 g smoked brisket;
- 200 g flour;
- 1 egg;
- 3 tbsp. water;
- 4 tbsp. l. paprika;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 1 onion;
- 1 bay leaf;
- salt to taste.
Hungarian dumplings are made by mixing flour with 100 ml of water and one chicken egg. The mixture is salted to taste, then stirred. The dough is formed into small cubes and left to dry slightly. During this time, the brisket is fried in a large saucepan until a crust appears. Add to it in turn, frying each type of meat for 5 minutes, cut into cubes, tenderloin, ribs and hunting sausages.
A large number of meat delicacies makes Hungarian goulash hearty and tasty.
Chopped vegetables, potatoes and dumplings are added to meat delicacies. All ingredients are poured with water, seasoned with salt, paprika and bay leaves. As soon as the potatoes become soft, remove the stewpan from the heat, leave it for half an hour to infuse the soup.
Conclusion
The classic Hungarian pork goulash is an incredibly satisfying dish. An even ratio of meat, potatoes and broth turns into an excellent flavor composition that will be appreciated by most gourmets. Modern adaptations of the classic delicacy will make it fall in love with even those who are not a supporter of too spicy food.
