Gulasch, also known as Beef Goulash, is a versatile dish that one could enjoy as lunch, dinner or even early morning as a fantastic cure for hang over. This dish maybe the most popular dish in Western Europe, next to the awesome pumpkin seed oil salad.
You don’t have to go to Germany or Austria to enjoy them, this recipe is simple and straight forward to follow. Probably best prepared with a couple of close friends, especially considering the amount of onions to chop.
Ingredients
500g beef
1kg onions
oil
1 whole garlic
a pinch of salt and pepper
a few tbs of paprika powder sweet
a few tbs of paprika powder hot
a few tbs coriander powder
a few tbs marjoram powder
5 ts vinegar
gulasch powder base
Steps
Cut the beef into small size cubes. Finely chop the onions and garlic into small pieces. Be prepare to cry. Don’t try to cheat by using a blender as that will release the bitterness from the onions.
Heat the oil in a high cooking pot and cook the onions and garlic in a low heat at least for 15 minutes.
Add all the spices into the pot, season to taste. I usually use 3 or 4 table spoons of each spices.
Add the vinegar and 1/4 lt of water in a pot. Mix it with gulasch powder base for color and taste consistency.
Add the meat into the pot.
Let it cook for 1 hour until the meat is very tender and the onions are smooth. We’re looking for soup-like texture. Stir every now and then. In the meantime, do this very important step! Open up a few bottles of beer and enjoy them while you are waiting.
This is a recipe from my mom in law. As most good home cooking, what makes this recipe so great is its simplicity. It takes a long time to cook however requires little effort. Most importantly, it’s definitely worth the wait!
There are few different versions of this dish. Some use ginger or star anise in the sauce. Others use tofu and potatoes along with the Pork Belly and garnish it with some spring onions. But my favorite version here is keeping it simple and sticking to its essence.
Ingredients
600g pork belly. skin on, boneless
3 pcs garlic
1 pc shallot
sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) to taste
1 tbs oyster sauce
a pinch of salt and pepper
4 hard boiled eggs
Steps
Finely chop all the garlic and shallot. Cut the pork belly into medium size cubes.
Heat a medium size pot until its hot. Then, put all the pork belly into the pot. No oil is required as the meat will be naturally greased from its own fat.
Cook and seal the meat until the fat starts to melt. Then remove it from the pot and set it aside.
Add the garlic and shallot into the pot. Let it sizzle in the pork’s fat for 30 seconds to release the fragrance.
Return the pork belly into the pot along with the hard boiled eggs.
Add some sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix it well until everything is coated evenly. Careful not to break the eggs.
Add some water until all the meat is covered. With a small fire, cook the meat until it becomes soft and the sauce thicken. This usually takes about 30 minutes. Stir the pot every once in a while.
It is best to cook it over a long period of time. Just add water every 30 minutes and let the sauce re-thickens.
Inka Tanaya is a former mathematician for a gaming company, currently living as a full time housewife in Dubai. Loves cooking and enjoy the occasional fine dining.
