It starts with the warm scent of paprika gently clinging to the oil, then the slight sizzle of beef browning at the bottom of the pot. Hungarian goulash is the perfect dish to impress without playing the complicated chef: a good slow cook, a few solid ingredients, and a dark red sauce that does all the work.
Ingredients :
- Beef for stewing — It provides the base of the dish, with a texture that becomes tender after long cooking. Choose chuck, brisket, or neck rather than a lean cut, otherwise the meat may stay dry despite the sauce.
- Paprika — It’s what defines goulash, with its red color and warm aroma. Choose a good quality sweet paprika, fragrant when opening the jar; if it smells dusty, it will give a flat sauce.
- Onion — It builds the sweet foundation of the dish and rounds out the acidity of the tomato. Let it become translucent and soft before adding the meat, because a rushed onion remains aggressive on the palate.
- Red bell pepper — It reinforces the color and brings a vegetable sweetness that melts into the sauce. If you don’t have one, a finely chopped carrot can help achieve that sweetness, though the flavor will be different.
