This Hungarian Beef Stew recipe is my all-time favorite meal my mom would make for the family. It still is my favorite beef dish to this day. It also happens to be my son’s favorite beef meal. When he hears that I’m making Hungarian Porkolt, he is over at the house ready to feast on a great meal!
My mom’s Hungarian Beef Stew recipe calls for only 5 simple ingredients. They are:
- One large onion (I use Yellow or Vandalia onions)
- 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. of beef stew meat
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoon Hungarian Paprika (I love Penzies Hungarian Sweet Paprika)
- 2 heaping tablespoons of sour cream
If you go online, you will see Hungarian beef stew recipes use either pork or beef. In addition, they add red peppers. Some Hungarian beef stew recipe call for bacon and/or tomatoes. Personally, I’m glad my mother didn’t add those additional ingredients into this dish. I don’t know about you, as a child I couldn’t stand the texture and taste of cooked peppers!
Hungarian Beef Stew Recipe Preparation
Now comes the prep work for the Hungarian Beef stew recipe. It is very easy. First, I chop up the onion (use Pampered chief chopper). Put the chopped onion into a 3 quart sized pan and add in the salt to the onion. Then I sauté the onions for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
Now the pot is ready to add the stew meat into the pan. Here, I bump up the heat to halfway between medium to high (on an electric stove) to brown the meat on the outside. Using a stirring spoon, I turn the stew meat to get all the meat browned. Personally, I like adding the meat on top of the onions versus browning the eat separately. I think by browning the meat with the onion adds a bit more flavor to the dish.
Hungarian Beef Stew Recipe Deviation
Both my son and I like when the beef is very tender. So over time, I perfected the tenderness of the meat. Most recipes call for the Hungarian beef stew recipe to simmer for about 30-45 minutes. I go much longer. Here is what I do differently. After the meat is browned, I add just enough water to barely cover the meat. Next, I bring it to a boil. Once it starts boiling, then lower the heat so that the mixture simmers. Add in the Hungarian paprika. And now you can relax since you will slow cook (simmer the meat) for 2 hours (getting the meat very tender).
I also am picky about the beef that I use. I use this very nutrient dense beef for my stew and its great. You can get more information on this by going here.
Hungarian Beef Stew Recipe Finishing Touches:
About ten minutes prior to the 2-hour make, using a ladle, add a heaping tablespoon (I use a regular soup spoon) of sour cream into the ladle. Then scoop up some of the broth from the pan and stir to mix the broth and sour cream. Stir until there are no lumps and then place the mixture back into the pan and stir until it is evenly absorbed in the pan. Repeat this one more time with the second tablespoon of sour cream. Get ready for a Hungarian Stew mouthwatering experience!
Hungarian Beef Stew Recipe Favorite Side Serving:
The side dish that my mom made with the Porkolt was dumplings, much like the German Satlese. Using 2 cups of flour, 2 eggs, and a teaspoon of salt, I usually prepare the dumplings about 1/2 hour before the meat is set to be done. To begin with, I fill up a 3-quart pan about 2/3s full and bring it to a boil. While I wait for the water to boil, I mix the flour and eggs and add enough salt and water to get the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
Using a cutting board, I spoon out a long strip of the batter about 1 inch wide onto the board. Then with a good sharp-edged knife, I cut strips about 1/2 inch long. With the knife in contact with the board, I slide the dough piece into the boiling water. Usually, I do about 10 to 12 slices and check how the dumplings are doing. Once the dumplings rise to the top of the water, they are done cooking.
Using a slotted spoon, I put the dumplings in a strainer, rinse them with cold water for about 10 seconds and place them into a covered serving dish. Then I repeat this process until all the dough mixture is gone. Enjoy and I hope you love this meal as much as I do! By the way, as I am cooking this dish, I let my Cabernet Sauvignon breathe to heighten the taste of this meal