Go Back
+ servings
Pörkölt Recipe, the Stew Formerly Known as Goulash, Budapest, Hungary. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Pörkölt (Hungarian Stew)

Pörkölt is a classic but humble stew, famous for the incredible flavour and hearty texture. It's not goulash, that's a soup.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Hungarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 569kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 kilo stewing beef cut into one inch dice
  • 2 tbsp lard I used rendered fat from a big block of delicious bacon
  • 1 onion minced
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 garlic clove mashed
  • 1 generous teaspoon salt you can add more later if necessary
  • 1 small tin of peeled tomatoes
  • 1 green pepper chopped finely
  • 4 potatoes quartered
  • 4 carrots sliced

Instructions

  • Cook the onions in lard in a Dutch oven or casserole dish until lightly browned regardless. (Instead of lard, the diet-conscious could use some kind of neutral oil to cook the onions in but that would be a shame.)
  • Take off the heat and add the paprika and garlic and stir through.
  • Add the meat and salt and, over a lowish flame, stir until the meat starts to colour. If the meat starts to stick, add a little water.
  • When the meat is browned, add the tomato and pepper and keep stirring.
  • By now you should have enough liquid to leave the dish almost unattended, leaving you free to fend off hungry householders. And neighbours. The aroma is amazing.
  • Every 10 minutes or so, check the dish and add more liquid as required, but just enough to stop it from burning.
  • Cooking time should be around two to three hours.
  • Par cook the carrots and potatoes in salted water and drain. Add just before serving.
  • Serve with a decent bottle of red.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 569kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.8g | Protein: 62.4g | Fat: 11.9g | Saturated Fat: 2.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9.3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 177mg | Fiber: 8.4g | Sugar: 12.4g