Hungary: Goulash

I cheated again this week. I just picked a country that I felt like, instead of pulling one out of the wine bag of fun. This weekend, I felt like a tasty goulash. There was just something about the lure of a meat and pasta one pot dish that I found enticing.

The last time I made Hungarian goulash someone asked me how it is different from regular goulash. I don't think it is. Goulash originated in Hungary, where it was traditionally prepared by herdsmen (gulyas in Hungarian ... thus the name goulash). So I guess that's why some people call their goulash Hungarian. I suppose it's like saying Italian pasta. Perhaps unnecessary...

Either way, goulash is a soup or stew typically made with beef, veal or lamb, vegetables and paprika. The paprika is the distinguishing ingredient. Some variations have it served over pasta.

I poked around the Internet for new recipes and they all looked pretty similar so I decided to go with this Rachael Ray recipe I had made before. It seems to have all of the traditional elements and when I tried it the last time it was, as Rach might say, delish.

Traditionally, the goulash may be made with tougher cuts of meat, like the shank or shoulder. I guess that gives it a richer flavor. This one calls for ground meats, which are a little easier and quicker to work with.

I followed the recipe for the most part, with a few exceptions. I added an extra onion, and cooked the onion in the pot before adding the meat to give the meat extra flavor while cooking. I also seasoned the meat with the salt, pepper and paprika - about twice as much as the recipe called for - before cooking because I thought it gave it more flavor. Oh, and I added about a tablespoon of cayenne pepper to give it some heat.

I also probably used about half the macaroni and a fraction of the sour cream. The last time I made it the sour cream flavor kind of overpowered everything else, so this time I just gradually added it in to the mix, probably using about half as much. Same goes for the macaroni.

After I mixed everything together I let it sit on the stove for a while so the macaroni could absorb the juices and flavor from the stew. The garnishes may seem odd, but I do recommend the gherkin pickles and radishes. The crunchy texture is a nice contrast to all of the softness of the goulash.