Fantastic Beef Goulash

An American-style version.

Goulash by Jametiks, on Flickr

Ordinarily, when we think of goulash, we think of Hungarian goulash, a dish made by braising tough cuts of beef, veal, lamb or pork in a paprika-flavored sauce until the the meat is so tender it falls apart and the collagen has turned the braising liquid into a thick gravy. But goulash is made in lots of other places in substantially different ways.

In Germany, gulasch is made with red wine and served with potato dumplings; in Poland, gulasz is eaten with kasha; Serbians add red and green peppers. In the Czech republic, guláš is served with raw onion, and the word has come to refer to anything that’s a bit of a hodgepodge.

America’s contribution? Yankee Doodle’s favorite: macaroni.

Compare the version from 1922’s Foods Of The Foreign-Born In Relation To Health by Bertha M. Wood:

Goulash 1/2 pound beef 1/2 pound veal 1/2 pound pork 2 pork kidneys 3 Tablespoons fat 1 green pepper 1 large onion 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley 1 cup tomato salt water potatoes Chop the onion and brown slightly in the hot fat. Add the beef, veal, pork, cut in dice, the kidneys cut in thin strips about an inch long. Turn and mix with the onion and fat. Add the pepper, cut in pieces, parsley, and tomato. Let simmer till meat is entirely tender, adding water to keep the mixture covered. Season to taste, then add a layer of diced potatoes, and more water if necessary. Let simmer till potatoes are done, but do not stir.

 

From a box sold in Martinez, California.

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