Pörkölt – Hungarian Beef Goulash with Paprika

Name: Pörkölt – Hungarian Beef Goulash with Paprika
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 800 g beef shoulder or neck; 4 pcs onion; 100 g smoked bacon; 2 tbsp lard; 5 tbsp sweet paprika powder; 1 tbsp sweet pepper paste; 2 pcs red bell pepper; 2 pcs tomato; 3 ząbek garlic; 1 tsp cumin; 1 pcs bay leaf; 1 tsp salt; 1 pinch ground black pepper

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Authentic Hungarian pörkölt — beef simmered for hours with onions and paprika until the sauce becomes thick and velvety. A heavily paprikous yet mild version, with a triple source of paprika for depth of flavor.

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Pörkölt – Hungarian Beef Goulash with Paprika

Prep time 25 min

Cook time 2h : 30 min

Servings

🍳

Difficulty Medium

Category Main dishes, Meat dishes

Ingredients

Base

800 g beef shoulder or neck
4 pcs onion
100 g smoked bacon
2 tbsp lard

Paprika and Spices

5 tbsp sweet paprika powder
1 tbsp sweet pepper paste
2 pcs red bell pepper
2 pcs tomato
3 ząbek garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 pcs bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 pinch ground black pepper

Instructions

Sautéing the Base

1
Render the diced bacon in lard until browned, then remove it with a slotted spoon.
2
In the rendered fat, sauté the finely chopped onion until deep golden, for about 10 to 12 minutes.
3
Add the pressed garlic and diced fresh bell pepper, cook for 3 minutes.

Adding Paprika

1
Add the diced beef and sear for one minute until some of the pinkness is gone.
2
Remove the pot from the heat and add the ground paprika and paprika paste, stir for about 20 seconds to prevent the paprika from becoming bitter.
3
Immediately pour in a few tablespoons of water to stop the paprika from cooking further.

Simmering

1
Add the diced tomatoes, caraway, bay leaf, and the previously rendered bacon.
2
Add water only halfway up the meat; do not cover it completely.
3
Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours, adding a little water only if the sauce threatens to burn.

Finishing

1
About 5 minutes before the end, stir in another half tablespoon of fresh ground paprika to refresh the color and aroma.
2
Uncover the pot and reduce the sauce to the desired thickness, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
3
Serve with nokedli dumplings, kopytka (Polish potato dumplings), or fresh bread.

Notes

The secret to the intensely paprikous flavor lies in three sources of paprika: ground, fresh, and paste, and adding paprika twice (at the beginning off the heat and a spoonful at the end).

Use genuine Hungarian sweet paprika (Kalocsa/Szeged).
Never fry paprika in hot fat, as it will become bitter.
The volume of onion should roughly equal the meat — it forms the sauce.
Optionally, serve with a dollop of sour cream.