Hungarian Pörkölt

Not your Typical Goulash

By Corinna Underwood

There are many misapprehensions outside of Hungary as to what exactly Hungarian goulash is. Goulash is the English term for the Hungarian gulyas, which is a short form of gulyashus, meaning “herdsman’s meat.” In Hungary, gulyas is a hearty soup containing meat and vegetables. Goulash is often confused with pörkölt, another traditional Hungarian dish, which is a stew rather than a soup. Pörkölt comes from the Hungarian verb pörkölni, which means "to roast." Pörkölt is always made of meat, onions, peppers and powdered paprika. Any kind of meat may be used, though beef, pork and lamb are most popular.

Pörkölt has been around since at least 800 AD, when it was popular with the Magyars, who used large cauldrons called bogrács to cook it over open fires. Today pörkölt is still a popular traditional dish, and there is a lot of emphasis placed on the type and amount of paprika used in it.

Paprika is a powder made from crushed and dried sweet red peppers. It ranges from bright red to orange in color, depending on the kind of peppers used. Hungarian paprika is held to be the finest, and there are six different categories ranging in strength from delicate to hot. The kind most used in pörkölt is half-sweet (félédes). A blend of mild and pungent peppers, this variety of paprika has a medium strength. A poplar Hungarian trick to guarantee the fullest flavor is to fry the onions in pork fat then adding a large dose of paprika before adding the meat and liquid. For the fullest flavor, the dish should be simmered slowly in just a little liquid.

Mouthwatering Beef Pörkölt with Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Beef pörkölt is an easy dish, and is best made by combining a minimum number of ingredients to produce maximum flavor. The creamy pancakes make a great compliment to the savory stew.

Beef Pörkölt

INGREDIENTS

1½ lbs stewing beef, cubed

3 medium onions, chopped

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 tbsp vegetable oil/pork fat

3 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp tomato puree

8 fl. oz beef stock

Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Beef Stews
Hungarian Stews
Low Sodium Stews
Comfort Food Stews
Season meat with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat and cook the onions until translucent.

Add the paprika.

Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides.

Add the potato and tomato puree. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the beef stock and leave to simmer for 1½ hours, stirring it from time to time.

Serve with noodles.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

Pancakes

6oz plain flour

2 medium eggs

13fl.oz. milk

Salt and black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Filling

14oz cottage cheese

2 tbsp thick cream

1 garlic clove, crushed

2tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 finely chopped scallion

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 275F.

Place the flour, salt, milk and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until smooth and frothy.

Transfer the batter to a measuring jug, for easy pouring.

Heat 1tbsp vegetable oil in a medium frying pan until hot.

Pour in batter until it evenly covers the base of the pan with a thin layer.

Fry over a medium heat, until the underside is golden, about 1½ -2 minutes. Shake the pan gently so it doesn't stick.

Using a palette knife, turn the pancake over and cook the other side until golden.

Transfer to an ovenproof plate, cover with foil and place in the oven to keep warm and repeat with the remaining batter.

Remove pancakes form oven and increase oven temperature to 350F.

Place all filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Divide the filling between the pancakes and roll each pancake up.

Place in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately, and enjoy this Hungarian culinary delight.

Serves 6

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