Sounds good! I would use the sweet paprika and add a little cayenne to taste..
Oh, and I would cut back on the caraway seeds....that sounds like an awful lot to me!

That's almost exactly what my German-Russian family recipe is for Goulash right down to the dumplings. We've always used that same recipe for the dumplings in 'Chicken 'n Dumplings' also. I cook mine in a LC Dutch oven sometimes stovetop & sometimes I put it in the oven at 300 degrees & let it go for several hours.

Yum!

/tricia

That does sound delicious and conjures up images of comfort food. Hope you and your guys enjoy it!
Catherine

oh shoot - I mis-typed. I only have SMOKED paprika...

Stacy, I think you can use it, just use less than called for. I did that with Marilyn's Goulash recipe and it was delish!

thanks Ellen!!!! And to everyone else for your timely responses. I can always count on you all...It's nice to know it sounds like a good recipe - I am a bit clueless :-)

I think the caraway is fine, but I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around Balsamic vinegar in goulash. Also, I dont care for Smoked paprika, but if that is a flavor you like, then by all means use it.

I haven't made it in a long time - I think I will put it on the planned menu for this week too!

Let us know how you like it

Alexa

Mom made something completely different and called it Goulash... Tomato sauce, elbow noodles, ground beef, finely chopped green peppers & onions, salt and pepper... Her secret ingredient.... A dash or two of Cinnamon...

Rita

Rita, my mom made a very similar goulash LOL. Elbow macaroni, ground beef, onions and tomato 'juice' and of course...salt and pepper. We didn't have the luxuries of stuff like green pepper :-0

Simple comfort food. All I grew up with and still like today (albeit not as often)

Duane

Well, we absolutely loved this. The only change I made was no sweet paprika - I reduced the amount of total paprika - but stilll probably used 1 1/2 tbsp of smoked paprika - maybe a tad less.

It was great. I also cooked some acini de pepe pasta to serve it over. The meat was so tender (I probably simmered a little longer than 1 1/2 hrs, too). And the flavor was rich.

We loved the dumplings too. Before Will left for school this AM, he asked if there were leftovers for tonight!

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Thanks for the help!
Stacy

OMG Stacy - I swear I can smell it through the screen. It looks heavenly.

Stacy, that looks very much like the recipe that Compumom mentioned that I make which is inspired by Wolfgang Puck. We love it too but I served it with Spaetzle style noodles.

Alexa, the vinegar is a must I think to really bring out the flavor like most acids (like lemon)do. Did you ever make something and taste it and feel that it just needs something. Often, it's that splash of vinegar or lemon that brightens and completes the flavor.

Beef Hungarian Goulash

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2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
3 garlic cloves; minced
1 tablespoon caraway seeds; toast & grind
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon spicy or smoked paprika
2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 pounds beef chuck or beef shank-2 inch cubes
about 1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 ounces Spaetzle style noodles

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil and sauté the onion until carmelized. Add the garlic and caraway and cook for 1 minute. Combine the paprika, marjoram and thyme and add to garlic, stirring for another minute. Stir in tomato paste until smooth then add vinegar, broth, bay leaf and beef cubes; sprinkle lightly with some of the salt and a little pepper. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and cover, cooking until meat is very tender stirring occasionally (about 2 1/2 hours). Remove lid and continue to simmer to reduce sauce as desired. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with cooked noodles.

*Recipe inspired by Wolfgang PuckÂs goulash.

Marilyn

Can you substitute anything for the caraway seeds? I have some beef out but no caraway.

Stacy that looks wonderful. The dumplings are more like the regular dumplings I use when I make chicken or regular beef stew. I usually make homemad spaetzel to serve with goulash.

And like Alexa, I wonder about the vinegar and a few of the other ingredients. Most of the goulash I have had in Hungarian restaurants were simple comfort food with very few ingredients. I've never had tomato in goulash either.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Traditional style Goulash

2 pounds Stewing Beef, Hip or chuck
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons Sweet or Hot Paprika (or combination)
Beef broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Flour (Optional) for dredging beef
2 or 3 potatoes, cut into large cubes
. Brown the beef in some hot oil. (May be dredged in flour first)

Add chopped onion, garlic and saute until soft. Add paprika, Cook for
a few minutes. Add Broth to cover, salt and pepper to taste and simmer
until the meat is tender. Add potatoes and continue cooking until
potatoes are cooked through.

Serve with Spaetzle or Wide noodles.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Spaetzle with Brown butter
==========================
adapted from Teriskitchen.com

INGREDIENTS
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
fresh chopped parsley

Brown Butter
5 tablespoons butter
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Add chopped parsley to the dough.
.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and nutmeg. If using
Parsley add to dry ingredients. Add the eggs and milk; stir until
thoroughly combined. Let dough rest about 15 minutes before cooking.
Heat a large pot of lightly salted water until boiling. Add the
spaetzle and cook until done, about 4 minutes. The dumplings will float
when done. Drain well. Brown the butter in a small saucepan or skillet.
Place the spaetzle in a serving dish and pour the butter on top. Season
with salt and pepper; toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

thanks - I was pretty sure I had seen spaetzle with it, but I liked the idea of the dumplings. Yours both look wonderful Ann and Marilyn.

Khandi - I'm not sure about the caraway! It's not a taste that stands out in the recipe, but I'm unsure how it would affect it to leave it out. On the other hand, Ann's doesn't have it, so heck I'd give it a shot. Maybe just leave out.

Stacy

This is an intereting thread. A late friend made something for years she called goulash. As a displaced Yankee, we called what she made, marzetti. It was basically elbow pasta, meat, cheese, tomatoes and seasoning. It was nothing like the wonderful dishes you all are describing as Hungarian goulash.

Now, as a competition chili head, I use sweet Hungarian paprika as one of my spice elements.

Texasred & Stacy- your elbow mac & ground beef "goulash" is what my husband calls American Chop Suey. I had started a thread about it a few months back just to see if anyone else had heard of it. That's when we found out that it was known by a bunch of different names arounf the country.

I will say that this thread has me wanting to make some "real" goulash, though! Too bad it's not an after work/week night kind of prep.

Nina

Nina, I put Goulash and stew type dishes on to cook in the morning before going to work. I just tell Moe what time to turn off the stove. And then I finish it when I get home. We had a beef stew with dumplings for dinner on Saturday night. I got home from work around 5:30 and dinner was on the table just before 7, which is our normal time to eat whether I'm working or not. You could also put the goulash in a low oven to cook while you are at work.

You can even mix up the spaetzle, refrigerate and cook at the last minute. Homemade spaetzle only takes a minute or two to cook.

Ann

TexasredH, that's what dh calls chilemac. I really don't like it but he's gonna get if this week. I find it a great heat up lunch for him.

The goulash we had in Hungary was tart and I'd say it could easily have had tomatoes in it also. Old recipes had a lot of stretcher in them so anything to make the meat go further would be appropriate. I think the balsamic is certainly a current day sub for plain old white vinegar. However, bv does have a richer taste so...

I'm just curious about the cake flour for the dumplings. That's a new one for me. Do others use cake flour in your dumplings?? Maureen

For regular dumplings like the recipe Stacy posted I just use regular white flour. But I can understand why cake flour would work. Dumplings are very similar to biscuit dough and many biscuit recipes call for pastry or cake flour.

Ann