Content
Many dishes from the national cuisines of the world have become part of modern life, but have retained the traditional nuances of preparation. 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, selecting the ideal combination.
How to cook Hungarian pork goulash
The traditional European dish originated several 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 purchasing pork for a Hungarian goulash recipe at the supermarket, it is inspected, giving preference to pinkish meat without bruising. If there is the slightest sign of weathering or blueing, as well as an unpleasant odor, you should refrain from purchasing such a product. Goulash can be prepared even from frozen meat, but you should give preference to softer cuts - ham and loin.
A distinctive feature of the Hungarian recipe is the coarsely chopped meat. Often the pieces resemble kebab in size. The average size of each of them is from 3 to 4 cm. It is believed that during cooking, such meat gives better flavor to the broth, and also becomes very juicy and tender inside. To obtain the correct consistency of pork, it requires long-term 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. A medium potato of 150-200 g is chopped into 6-8 parts. The ingredient is added towards the end of cooking so that the tubers do not become too boiled.
Classic Hungarian goulash - a 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 suited for pre-frying vegetables. It is heated until cracklings are formed, 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-rendered fat.
Among the spices for Hungarian dishes, paprika is the main favorite. It makes the soup more spicy and vibrant.Initially, it is this that provides the rich color of the finished product. Many modern housewives replace it with red pepper and tomato paste. The taste is also enhanced by garlic, coriander and bay leaf.
You need to cook goulash in Hungarian style calmly and leisurely. In order for pork and vegetables to simmer properly, the dishes must have a thick bottom and walls. A cast iron saucepan or a classic cauldron is best. If the finished dish turns out to be too thick, it can be diluted with water to the desired consistency.
Classic recipe for Hungarian pork goulash
The traditional method of preparing the dish involves a large amount of hot seasoning. It is also worth paying 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 its very piquant taste.
The first step is to melt the lard to obtain fat. It is cut into cubes or strips and simmered over high heat until cracklings form, after which they are removed using a slotted spoon. Then the pork, cut into large pieces, is fried in fat. First, juice will be released from it, and only then will it begin to fry.
Once the pork is ready, add chopped onion and bell pepper. All ingredients are poured with water and then seasoned with paprika. The Hungarian dish is cooked over low heat for about an hour, then coarsely chopped potatoes and eggs are added to it.The readiness of the goulash is checked by the condition of the potatoes - if they are soft, you can add salt and remove the pan from the heat. Experienced chefs advise letting the dish steep for about half an hour and only then serving it.
Hungarian goulash soup with pork
In modern realities, housewives often use additional ingredients that improve the taste of the finished product. Considering that this national feature of Europeans is not suitable for most 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.
To get the right color, you can add tomatoes to Hungarian goulash.
As in the original recipe, first fry the pork fat until it turns into cracklings. Large pieces of pork are quickly glazed in the resulting fat. Then chopped vegetables are added to it - onions, carrots, bell peppers, garlic and tomatoes. The mixture is simmered for 5-10 minutes with constant stirring, then poured with water and tomato juice, and also seasoned with paprika and bay leaf.
All ingredients are boiled for 45 minutes, then potatoes cut into large cubes are added to them. As soon as it becomes soft, salt the soup to taste and add water as desired. The goulash is infused for half an hour, after which it is served along with white bread.
Hungarian pork goulash with gravy
Most people in the post-Soviet space are accustomed to this dish having too thick a broth. Many housewives have adapted Hungarian-style goulash to their own tastes, preferring timely addition of gravy to long-term cooking.
To prepare such an original dish you will need:
- 1 kg pork;
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 100 g 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 dish and the gravy are prepared in different containers and only halfway through the recipe are combined in a large saucepan with a thick bottom. Pork is fried in hot fat in a frying pan. As soon as the crust appears, chopped vegetables are added to them - carrots, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Pork for Hungarian goulash is stewed for about half an hour.
The gravy for Hungarian goulash is prepared in a separate frying pan.
During this time, fry the flour in a separate dry frying pan and stir it periodically. As soon as it turns golden, pour in water in a thin stream and stir vigorously to avoid the formation of lumps. The prepared gravy is poured into the meat and vegetables. Diced potatoes are also added there. After this, the dish is stewed until all the ingredients are fully cooked, then seasoned with paprika and salt to taste.
Hungarian goulash with pork and chipettes
One of the most popular recipes for preparing a traditional dish involves using a large number of meat ingredients along with dumplings. This Hungarian-style soup is somewhat reminiscent of traditional solyanka.
To prepare it you will need:
- 400 g pork;
- 200 g smoked ribs;
- 200 g 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-style 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, fry the brisket in a large saucepan until a crust appears. Add to it in turn, frying each type of meat for 5 minutes, diced tenderloin, ribs and hunting sausages.
A large number of meat delicacies makes Hungarian goulash nourishing and tasty
Shredded vegetables, potatoes and dumplings are added to deli meats. All ingredients are poured with water, seasoned with salt, paprika and bay leaf. As soon as the potatoes become soft, remove the saucepan from the heat and leave it for half an hour to infuse the soup.
Conclusion
Classic Hungarian pork goulash is an incredibly satisfying dish. An even ratio of meat, potatoes and broth results in an excellent flavor composition that will be appreciated by most gourmets. Modern adaptations of the classic delicacy will make even those who are not a fan of too spicy food love it.
