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Traditional Hungarian Pörkölt

Hungarian paprika and beef stew (Porkolt) with egg pasta
When I went to Montenegro two years ago, I had one clear objective in head : to eat a delicious Goulash, which I knew to be commonly eaten in most of Eastern Europe. I kept pestering my companion with it wherever we went. Little did I know that Goulash, that I was picturing as a hearty stew, wasn't Goulash, but Pörkölt. You might have been tricked, too ; Goulash -or more accurately, Gulyás- is a soup, whereas Pörkolt is a stew.  Both are paprika and meat-centered, making them quite close on the taste profile ; but the need for a hearty, warming and veggies-rich soup is not quite the same as the will for a thick, indulging meaty stew. I ended up finding Goulash on the menu of one restaurant only during the two weeks we spent there. I thought that, while of definite Hungarian origin, the dish was quite popular here, too ; and I still assume it is, but quite probably within Montenegrins' homes instead of the local restaurants' menus. Of course, I ordered it right away. The Goulash I was served was actually Pörkölt ; I guess they adapted the name to fit the customers' expectations. Whether the name was correct or not did not matter much after the first bite, as it was everything I longed for. This melt-in-your-mouth beef combined with a slightly runny, bold red sauce is sheer comfort. Much like Montenegrins themselves, the dish was not particularly delicate, but it was warm, honest and straight to the point. Don't be disheatened by the long cooking time ; as with most Sunday dishes, you essentially assemble everything, then let it cook for a few hours. The real active time for this recipe is no more than 1 hour. I chose to serve this Traditional Hungarian Pörkölt with egg noodles ; traditionally, Nokedli or Spaetzle are used. You can also opt for boiled potatoes if you wish. Besides, feel free to add a tablespoon of sour cream on top of your Pörkölt plate !

Traditional Hungarian Pörkölt - Recipe

Ingredients - Advice & key points

  • Beef :
    • I loved beef cheek here. The cut is both lean and incredibly tender when cooked a few hours ; I cannot reccomend it enough.
    • You could also use a mix of beef chuck (on the fattier side) and Silverside/topside beef (on the leaner side), or any kind of stewing beef ; ask your butcher for a meat that will tenderize after a few hours of cooking on low temp. Ideally, you want to use some cuts that are collagen-rich. Gentle, long cooking transforms collagen fibers into melting gelatin ; this is how you get a pull-apart meat after a few hours.
  • Paprika :
    • I highly recommend using quality Hungarian paprika here. I found mine online on Amazon.
    • I used a mix of mild Hungarian paprika (3 tbsp) and hot Hungarian paprika (1 tbsp), as I enjoy a small spicy kick.
    • Feel free to use mild Hungarian paprika only !
  • Beef stock : I use store-bought here, since the large amount of meat already brings in lots of flavour. Feel free to use homemade if you can !
  • Do not compromise on the cooking time ! Your stew won't be tasty if you don't cook it for a minimum of 2,5 hours, ideally 3.
Let's stew!
Cooking Method ,
Cuisine ,
Courses ,
Difficulty Beginner
Time
Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 210 min Total Time: 3 hrs 55 mins
Servings 5
Best Season Winter
Description

A bold red beef stew, with melt-in-your-mouth tender meat. The fragrant paprika flavour is balanced out by the sweetness of the onion and the bell pepper.  

Ingredients
    Ingredients
  • 1 kilogram beef cheek (or chuck, or Silverside/topside beef)
  • 2 tablespoons pork fat
  • 1 large onion (minced)
  • 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 4 tablespoons mild Hungarian paprika
  • 1 teaspoon caraway powder
  • 200 grams diced tomato (fresh or canned)
  • 2 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
  • 750 milliliters beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt (adjust by the end of the cooking)
  • black pepper (to taste, only when removed from heat)
    • To serve
  • 350 grams egg noodles (Nokedli or Spaetzle)
Instructions
  1. Prep your ingredients

    Cut the meat into small chunks, around 4cm wide.

    Mince the onion and garlic. Cut the bell pepper into bite-sized pieces.

  2. Brown your beef

    In a dutch oven on medium-high heat, add your pork fat.

    Brown the meat on all sides. If your pot is not wide enough, do it in batches ; you must not overfill it. Remove your meat and set aside.   

    You mustn't overfill your pot when browning your meat because the pot/pan needs to be hot for the meat to caramelize ; with too much cold meat, it will lower the pot temp, resulting in poorly browned meat.
  3. Stew it

    To your empty pot, add your onion and bell pepper, with salt. Let it cook around 8 minutes until soft. 

    Add your garlic and tomato paste. Stir 1 minute. 

    Lower the heat. After 2 minutes, add caraway and paprika. Stir 1 minute.

    Add your diced tomato. Stir.

    Add back your meat. Add your bay leaf, then your stock. 

    Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 3 hours, covered, stirring each hour. 

    At the 2 hour mark, if the sauce is still very liquid, let it finish cooking uncovered.

  4. Serve !

    Eat immediately, or better still, set aside at room temperature and refrigerate when cold enough. The next day, reheat over medium heat.

    Serve with Nokedli or Spaetzle, or any kind of egg-based noodles. You could also use boiled potatoes.  

    Et voilà !! You're done ! 

Note
  • This dish freezes well. I definitely advise you to make a large amount, since the cooking time is quite long, then freeze it in batches (I pour individual portions in plastic bags). You will be so glad to find one on a lazy winter night. 
  • Try to serve it the next day, the flavours will be even bolder ! 
Keywords: home made, pörkölt, porkolt, goulash, gulyas, beef stew, Hungarian beef stew, Hungarian pörkölt, stewed meat, stew, beef, comforting, spaetzle
Read it online: https://multicarbs.com/recipe/traditional-hungarian-porkolt/

Thank you for trying out this recipe ! Do not hesitate to leave some feedback. I hope it brightened your day.