Hungarian Pörkölt

Apologies for the absence, but I'm back at last, and hopefully with a good one to kick off with!

This is a recipe I've had for a while, and is incredibly easy to make, as well as being strangely addictive, as you can't help but go back for seconds! I'm going to try and talk through how to make it, although as always, nothing is measured, I just go by guesswork and what looks right. Plus there will probably be hundreds of Hungarians shouting that it's not right; well it's just the way I was taught to make it. By a Hungarian!

The first step is to chop up some onion and fry it up; I usually go for red onions, and although I'm sure other onions would work just as well, I like to stick with tradition on this one. I used two medium sized onions.


Once they're slightly browned, or at least soft, it's time for the meat. About 500g of diced beef seems to be a good size for two (or one if you have my appetite). Cook until brown with no pink showing.


At this point, I used add salt, pepper, and if you like, some mixed herbs. The herbs are optional, but can help add a little to the flavor. Next, add in some chopped tomatoes; and here I've used four medium tomatoes. Probably best to chop them a little smaller as it will be easier to cook, although it will all boil down anyway. I was just being lazy.


Once the tomatoes have started to cook and come apart, it's time to add in some water to make it into more of a stew. Alternatively, you can do as I did, and replace water with some cheap red wine that you were given as a gift. It certainly adds colour, and I love the smell of wine in cooking!


Now, bring it to the boil, turn it down, throw on the lid and leave it to simmer for as long as you can before hunger takes over. The longer the better as the beef will become softer, and I'd usually say half an hour is a minimum.

Finally, the paprika needs to be added about 5-10 minutes before the end, and be generous with it! I added about three teaspoons, and that seemed just right, but again, no strict measurement is required.

The final result will probably look similar to this, although mine is a little redder for using wine rather than water. You can serve is up with boiled potatoes, although I'm usually happy enough to have it on it's own!


Enjoy!