fortification fridays - PÖRKÖLT (Hungarian paprika beef stew)

I went to Hungary last year for a conference, and even though it was in the middle of the summer and I was stuffed after a few days, I couldn't stop eating dish after dish of pörkölt with little flour dumplings called galuska. I wanted to try every version in every restaurant, cantina, bistro, cafeteria I visited, and then I wanted more. The recipe is simple: beef, onions, paprika, salt and pepper, and a bit of optional green pepper and/or tomato. Hungarian food is nothing short of a miracle; it's heavy as can be, but, with a few good ingredients, wonderful winter eating.

When I came back, carrying bags of paprika in my luggage, I embarked upon a mission to find a good Hungarian cookbook. Luckily, the best one in English came out in a new edition at the end of 2006. Part of the Konemann Culinaria cookbook series, it is called Culinaria Hungary and is available through amazon.com. My recipe is an adaptation from that cookbook.


A note on paprika: don't buy non-imported paprika. You will be using 2-3 tablespoons at a time, so you really want the good stuff. Plus, it is brighter and sweeter when used as a garnish. I have purchased even the best domestic types available, including the stuff at Penzey's, but it absolutely pales in comparison to imported fresh Hungarian paprika from Kalocsa. If you go to Hungary, skip the tourist markets (such as the one pictured here, the biggest open market in Budapest) and buy your paprika at a grocery store. Much cheaper and probably fresher, too. If you can't go to Hungary, I'll forgive you. Find a Eastern European grocery and/or deli in your area and ask them. There are at least two places in central Oregon that carry the brand pictured here called "Kalocsai", Novak's Hungarian Restaurant in Albany, and Zolotoy Petushok, a Russian deli and market in Eugene, so I am sure you can find one in your area. The types of paprika are baffling -- I bought a "sweet" one that had the word "csemege" in it, and I find the following incomprehensible descriptions online:


Delicate (Csípmentes Csemege): Ranging from light to dark red, a mild paprika with a rich flavor.
Exquisite Delicate (Csemegepaprika): Similar to Delicate, but more pungent.
Pungent Exquisite Delicate (Csípös Csemege, Pikant): A yet more pungent Delicate.

"Pungent delicate" sounds like an oxymoron to me, so I'll leave it at that and say it is just plain delicious.



So enough already. Here's the recipe.

Pörkölt - Hungarian paprika beef stew

Kitchen needs: Something to saute the onions and an oven or slow cooker
Serves: 6

I suppose this would be called "goulash" in America, but it is nothing like the thin paprika soup they call goulyas in Hungary, and nothing like the sour-cream enriched, hamburger mushroom casserole that passes as goulash. My recipe uses a bit more water than usual because I like a bit more liquid in my stews to soak into the dumplings/noodles/potatoes, and although purists wouldn't use the tomato or pepper, I don't have a problem with either. If you like caraway seed, you could add some, but that's not considered "traditional" either.

2 lbs. beef chuck or stew beef, cubed in 1-2 inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2-3 T. imported paprika (sweet)
1 t. imported paprika (hot), optional
one perfect garden tomato, medium, halved, or 1T. tomato paste
1 dense-fleshed green pepper, such as an anaheim or poblano, or a small bell pepper, chopped
cooking fat: lard, bacon drippings, or vegetable oil (preferences in that order)
salt and pepper

Saute onions in 1 T. of cooking fat until soft and light brown. Remove from heat, then combine with beef and paprika (no need to brown beef) to your pot or slow cooker and mix thoroughly. Mix in salt and pepper to taste, the tomato/tomato paste, and green pepper. Add a cup of water or wine if you want it saucy. Cover and cook on 300 for about 2 hours in the oven or 4-5 hours on low in a slow cooker (if the latter, you will probably want to add some wine or water or stock to increase the liquid). The beef should be fork-tender when done. This recipe improves greatly when allowed to sit for several hours or overnight. Serve with dumplings, egg noodles, pasta, or boiled potatoes.

Image of paprika package courtesy of someone's Hungary food products site.