Beef Goulash  Photo by Rool Paap  www.flickr.com

Did you know that your freezer works much better when you have a bottle of vodka in it? I kid you not. Absolute truth. A friend came over for drinks, asked for vodka, got it out of the freezer, and explained in wonder: "Frozen. How civilized." So, there you have it. Let's make sure to be "civilized" and keep our freezer going.

My way of cooking has always been one for the table and one for the freezer. ou always have a ready meal that way.

When you make that goulash, make more than you think you will need; the left-over is divided into small containers and frozen for soups.

When one feels like a goulash soup, defrost one of the containers; into a pot goes olive oil and the "Holy-Three" (onion, carrot and a celery stick) but this time add a diced potato and let them sizzle in that lovely olive oil; five minutes will do; keep mixing though.

Pour 2 cups of beef or chicken stock on that, (we love turkey necks..... so I always have great stock in the freezer), simmer for a few minutes; pour one of the containers of goulash onto this, (cut the meat up) and simmer another few minutes. It will need salt and lots of pepper and there you are. A delicious soup on a cold night...or any night.

Oh. So you think only the Hungarians know how to make goulash? And you are not Hungarian? Rubbish. Here: it's easy.

The Wacky Cook Goulash

6 large onions

4 cloves garlic

1 kilo lean beef cut into cubes (lean and mean, I mean no fat at all)

1 large can of chopped tomatoes (800 gr. or so)

Half of this can filled with red wine

1 tablespoon of sweet of sweet paprika

Salt and pepper

Open a bottle of good red wine and pour a glass for yourself; OK. You prefer a gin and tonic, go for it. But you need the wine for the goulash anyway and frying onions takes time and patience and, in my case, lots of tears. Get whatever you like to sip on and off we go.

Into a large pot dump some olive oil. If you do not us the very best of olive oils, stop right here. We are no longer friends. When it gets hot, flop the 6 large sliced onions brown them well and make sure they do NOT burn. A deep brown is the secret of a good goulash. Today it's called "caramelized". Whatever! Just don't burn them.

Now add the meat and garlic, yes, all of it at once. You can, of course, take out the onions and do the meat in batches but you are not French, (good grief. Are you?) and you are not making 'Bouef Bourguignon', so just get it all into the pot and keep mixing it with the onions and the garlic until the meat is no longer red. OK? Good. Add the crushed tomatoes and fill that can half way with the red wine you are sipping. Yes, if it's good for you, it will be perfect for the goulash. Salt, pepper and a large tablespoon of sweet paprika. Mix-mix, sip-sip, cover, lower the heat to the lowest, and forget it for two hours. This is basic goulash, enough for 4 or if you are less generous, 6. Serve it with potatoes, rice, wheat germ, a green salad and lots of that red wine.

 

print Email article to a friend
Rate this article 
 

Post a Comment




Related Articles

 

About the author

Debbie Morgenstern

Debbie Morgenstern was born in Poland, educated in New Zealand; and is an American who came to live in Israel with her husband and family. She never worked in her profession but instead volunteered in...
More...

Script Execution Time: 0.056 seconds-->