RECIPE: EVA GABOR’S HUNGARIAN GOULASH
Adapted from Frank Decaro's Dead Celebrity Cookbook
2 T. lard
2 medium onions, chopped
2 lbs. beef round cut into 1/2" cubes
1 veal heart, trimmed and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. caraway seeds
1/4 t. salt
3 T. imported sweet Hungarian paprika
1 1/2 qt. beef stock
1 medium tomato
2 green peppers, cored and sliced into strips
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" cubes
s&p
Dumplings
2 large eggs
10 T. flour
pinch of salt
Heat the lard in a heavy covered casserole and cook the onions over medium heat until they sweat, wilt and start to turn translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the two meats, turn the heat up to medium high and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, to brown the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Use a mortar and pestle to grind the caraway seeds and 1/2 t. salt together so that the seeds are powdered. Grind in the minced garlic to make a crumbly paste. Stir this into the browned meat. Stir the paprika into the meat.
Add the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Add more broth or water if needed to cover the meat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
After 1 hour taste the broth in the goulash. Add salt and pepper, and more paprika to taste. Add the sliced peppers and potato cubes. Cut the tomato in half around the middle. Scoop out the seeds with your finger. Use the large wholes on a box grater to grate the pulp into the pot, pressing down the tomato with the heel of your hand until all that is left is the skin denuded of all pulp. Discard the skins. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the vegetable; if not add more broth or water.
Simmer for 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes to see if the goulash is too watery; if so leave the lid off to reduce the liquid. If not, keep covered.
While the potatoes and peppers are simmering, use a fork to whisk the two eggs with a pinch of salt in a small mixing bowl. One tablespoon at a time whisk in the flour. Keep stirring as you incorporate the flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep adding flour until you have a yellow dough that is very stretchy and elastic so that when you pull out the fork you get a nice long strand stretching out. You might not need all 10 T. flour, or you may need more. Towards the end, add by 1/2 T. so that the dough doesn't get too stiff.
When the potatoes and peppers soft, use a metal spatula to pull strings of dough out of the bowl and let them drop into the simmering goulash. They will make little yellow squiggles of spaetzlë style dumplings. When all the dough has been dropped into the simmering goulash use a wooden spoon to push them into the liquid so that they are slightly submerged. They are done when they float back to the surface, 2-3 minutes. .
Serve hot. in bowls garnished with parsley. Tabasco is nice if you like it a little spicier.
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Written by skfsullivan on January 17, 2012 under ALL RECIPES.
