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Marhapörkölt
Marhapörkölt: thick beef stew of onion and paprika cooked in its own juices
Pörkölt is the stew most Hungarians actually cook at home, more often than gulyás, and on the Great Plain beef pörkölt simmers in a cauldron at every village festival and harvest gathering. Unlike soup, it has almost no added liquid: a big pile of onions melts slowly in fat, paprika goes in off the heat, then the beef stews in its own juices with a little tomato and pale green pepper until the sauce is thick, glossy and brick red. It is deep, sweet and gently peppery, and it belongs next to nokedli (small dumplings) or boiled potatoes and a pickled cucumber. The usual slip is adding paprika to a hot pan, which scorches it bitter in seconds; always pull the pot off the heat first. Chef's tip: add water only a few spoons at a time, just enough to stop it catching, so the sauce stays concentrated.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 5
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb beef shin or chuckcut into 3 cm cubes
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 ⅛ lb onionsfinely chopped
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- ½ tsp hot Hungarian paprika
- ½ tsp ground caraway
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tomatochopped
- 1 pale green pepper or wax peppersliced
- ¾ cup wateradded little by little
- 5 pickled cucumbers (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-low heat and cook the 1 ⅛ lb onions for 15 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and golden; add a spoon of water if they catch.
15 minStep 2: Turn the heat up, add the 2 ¼ lb beef shin or chuck and stir for 5 minutes, until it loses its raw colour.
5 minStep 3: Take the pot off the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika, ½ tsp hot Hungarian paprika, 3 garlic cloves and ½ tsp ground caraway so they coat the meat without burning.
1 minStep 4: Return to a low heat, add the 1 ½ tsp salt and 3 tablespoons of the 2 ½ tbsp water, cover and stew for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes and adding a splash more water only when the pot looks dry.
60 minStep 5: Add the 1 tomato and 1 pale green pepper or wax pepper and stew, covered, for 50–60 minutes more, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is thick and glossy, using the rest of the ¾ cup water as needed.
60 minStep 6: Uncover for the last 10 minutes if the sauce is thin, until it coats the meat. Taste for salt and serve with nokedli or potatoes and 5 pickled cucumbers.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 41 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does marhapörkölt take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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