Hungarian Goulash

This is a classic dish and the most delicious recipe I have used.  The straining of the tomatoes is a lot of work but well worth the effort.  I have only used beef for this dish, but the original recipe states you can also use a lean pork or veal or a combination of all three meats.  It is very important to make sure you use enough paprika, I don't think you can use too much, just remember paprika has a tendency to burn so be careful when browning the meat.  I find that the quantities are very flexible, in otherwards, the amount of meat, onions or potatoes I use depends on what I have on hand.  I suppose you could eat it without the sour cream but you would miss the depth of flavour it offers.  The freezer rolls I make (also in this blog) are perfect together.

By the way, how do you like my new table cloth?  I brought it back from Ecuador where they can be found in many homes and even restaurants.  I fell in love with the vibrant colours.

Ingredients
2  28oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 pounds beef
2 tablespoons paprika
2 onions
1/4 cup butter
1 pound potatoes
plain yogurt or sour cream for garnish

Directions
Press the tomatoes through a sieve into a bowl, then add the sugar.  Ensure no skin or seeds escape into your bowl.

Dice the meat and sprinkle with salt pepper and paprika.

Peel and chop the onions.

Scrape or peel the potatoes and dice.

Heat the butter in a heavy pan and fry the meat and onions slowly to prevent burning.  Add more paprika if necessary.

Blend in the tomato puree, cover the pan tightly and simmer gently for about half an hour then add the potatoes and simmer another thirty or forty-five minutes or until the potatoes are soft.  You may need to add more water, but remember this is meant to be a thick stew.

To serve, top with plain yogurt or sour cream.