Friday, November 9, 2012

Donabe Goulash...best kind I've had.


From Budapest, I brought home some ingredients for Goulash.

Photobucket
These were sold together as a "Goulash set". Hungarian paprika powder (hot), gulyas cream (paste of paprika, tomato, and some spices), and cumin seeds. If paprika is Hungary's national ingredient, Goulash is its national dish. Goulash is a stew of beef in paprika-based soup.

And, I made it with Japan's finest, Iga-yaki donabe! I used my medium-size classic-style donabe, "Hakeme", to make this dish.

Photobucket Photobucket
Meat: 2 pounds of beef shank (I got very fine grass-fed organic beef shank). Cut the meat into large cubes, season with salt & pepper, dust with flour, and sear in olive oil in a pan, just until the meat is browned both sides. Set aside.

Photobucket
In the donabe, sauté 2 onions (minced) and 2 cloves of garlic (thinly-sliced) in 2T olive oil until the onion is very soft. Add 1/2 medium-size carrot (small-diced).

Photobucket
Add 1tsp cumin seeds, 2 bay leaves, 1/4C paprika powder, 1/4C gulyas cream, 2T tomate sauce, and browned beef. Stir. Deglaze with 1/4C white wine.

Photobucket Photobucket
Add 2 potatoes (diced), 2.5C water, and a dry paprika (optional). Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer.  Line the surface with a drip lid (or a piece of parchment paper). Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour. Add half can of white beans and continue to simmer for 30 more minutes.

Photobucket
Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. The authentic donabe goulash is ready.

Photobucket
To serve, you can top the soup with sour cream, which Hungarian people love very much!
It became the best goulash I've made...the flavor was so deep and the meat was so tender. And, the best part was the bone marrow...my cheeks felt so perky the next morning (psychological? haha.) I used the gulyas cream for the first time and liked it very much. But, once I use it up, I think I can still make a very good goulash without it.

Happy donabe life.