Venison Goulash (Ozpörkölt)
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1⁄4 lb. smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1⁄2 tbsp. hot paprika, preferably Hungarian
1⁄4 tsp. dried ground thyme
1⁄4 tsp. dry mustard
4 whole allspice
4 juniper berries
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small tomato, cored and chopped
1⁄2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and
finely chopped
1 cup red wine, preferably merlot
Salt
6 medium yukon gold potatoes (about 2 lbs.),
peeled; cut lengthwise into wedges
1⁄4 cup butter, cubed
2 tsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
6–8 slices crusty white bread
1. Put venison and vinegar into a bowl; cover with boiling water. Put bacon into a large pot over medium heat; cook until crisp, 6–8 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, 6–8 minutes. Drain venison; add to onions. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until just browned, 8–10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, paprika, thyme, mustard, allspice, juniper, garlic, tomatoes, and peppers; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until venison is just tender, about 2 hours. Uncover pot, add wine and salt to taste, and cook until venison is very tender and liquid has thickened, about 1 1⁄2 hours more.
2. Put potatoes into a pot; cover with salted water; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until soft, 10–12 minutes. Drain potatoes and toss in a bowl with butter, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve goulash with potatoes and bread.
SERVES 4
This stew is phenomenal. The first night we served it with mashed potatoes. Delicious!! A couple of nights later, we served it with egg noodles tossed in butter and toasted poppy seeds. Goulash with noodles and steamed green beans is even MORE delicious!!
And with all these substitutions, did our goulash taste correct? Well, we thought so. But then we're not Hungarian. Correct or not, it was phenomenal.