Here is the recipe that I use:

Ivana Trump's Goulash

2 pounds beef shank or chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or lard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
pinch dried marjoram
salt
1 small green bell pepper, steamed, seeded and minced
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, minced
1 pound uncooked egg noodles -- Spaetzle can be a delicious substitute
I also add:
1 medium carrot -- cut up
2 stalks celery -- diced
mushrooms - sautèed (in butter)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly dust beef with flour and paprika. Set a 3- or 4-quart Dutch oven or flameproof casserole over high heat and melt half the butter with the oil. Add beef and saute' until browned, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to moderately high and add the onions and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water to cover (about 2 cups) and the marjoram and salt to taste. Place casserole in oven and cook uncovered until beef is very tender, 1 to 11/2 hours, stirring frequently. Add more water if needed to prevent scorching.

Thirty minutes before goulash is done, add green pepper and tomato.

Just before serving, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water, according to package directions. Drain and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Season to taste with additional salt. Serve at once with the hot, buttered noodles.

NOTES : (If using Spaetzles, make and cook ahead of time. Keep in refrigerator and when ready to serve, sauté in a bit of butter and serve with Goulash.)

This is my favourite Goulash recipe. It is going to be on our menu later this week.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Flour (Optional) for dredging beef
2 or 3 potatoes, cut into large cubes (optional)
. Brown the beef in some hot oil. (May be dredged in flour first)

Add chopped onion, garlic and saute until soft. Add paprika, Cook for a few minutes. Add Broth to cover, salt and pepper to taste and simmer until the meat is tender. Add potatoes if using and continue cooking until potatoes are cooked through.

Serve with Spaetzle or Wide noodles.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Spaetzle with Brown butter
==========================
Original Souce: http://teriskitchen.com/

INGREDIENTS
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk

Brown Butter
5 tablespoons butter
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Add chopped parsley to the dough.
.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and nutmeg. If using
Parsley add to dry ingredients. Add the eggs and milk; stir until
thoroughly combined. Let dough rest about 15 minutes before cooking.
Heat a large pot of lightly salted water until boiling. Add the
spaetzle and cook until done, about 4 minutes. The dumplings will float
when done. Drain well. Brown the butter in a small saucepan or skillet.
Place the spaetzle in a serving dish and pour the butter on top. Season
with salt and pepper; toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

Lisbet, I tried your recipe yesterday and it was very good..........think I like it thickened a bit more but that is only personal preference. Thanks.

"roselin" You're very welcome! I really love that recipe. Like you, I also prefer a thicker gravy....which is something very easily adjusted. I quoted the recipe just as it was originally given by the then Mrs. Trump (who is Hungarian).

Lisbet, reading some recipes on other sites, the gravy should be thickened by the potatoes so maybe I just didn't cook it long enough or had the wrong kind of potatoes. Will try it again soon and see if longer cooking and different potatoes makes a difference in the thickness of the gravy.

Lisbet's recipe didn't contain potatoes, that was Ann's recipe.
The red headed Hungarian lady I knew many years ago said real gulyas never containe flour nor a lot of veggies...just beef onions, garlic and sweet paprika.....and potatoes cooked until they pretty much fell apart.
But Goulash or guylas is like stew....every family has their favorite.
Linda C

I used Lisbet's recipe and added potatoes as listed on a recipe that I found on line to thicken it. According to the site I found it on, potatoes cooked til falling apart are the thickening agent of choice. You add them when you add the meat. And yes, am sure every family does have their favorite just like any other recipe.

Here's the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.gumbopages.com/food/hungarian/gulyas.html

Do you use the paprika spread in about the same amounts as the powder? Never saw that before.

Where we were introduced to the paprika spread, we had it on bread and it is really good.

I have been "trolling" around on the internet looking for recipes on Hungarian Goulash.....seems that there are as many versions of this dish as there are stars in the sky.

I still like mine best! Just start with a basic recipe and go from there, adjusting it to suit your personal and family's taste buds. The only new wrinkle that I will adopt is that I notice some recipes suggest a dollop of sour cream on the side.

You're so right, Lisbet........we had dinner at the Goulash Museum in Vienna and every item on their menu is a goulash of some sort.....even chocolate. Delightful place to have dinner.

Lisbet, I was very interested in your recipe and it inspired me to look at many recipes. I make a pretty good beef stew and I didn't want it to be anything like that, I wanted strong flavors and I found it with Wolfgang Puck's recipe. The only thing I changed was that I left out the sugar and used only 2 cups broth instead of 4. There is no flour or potato to thicken so I removed the lid and let the sauce reduce a bit at the end of cooking. There was plenty of thick sauce for the 2 pounds of meat.

*One of the best tips I learned a couple of years ago from the food network was to add a little acid such as vinegar to balance flavors, especially in things such as stew. I always add it at the end for my beef stew and it makes all the difference.

{{!gwi}}

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
3 garlic cloves; minced
1 tablespoon caraway seeds; toast & grind
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon spicy paprika (optional)
2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 pounds beef chuck or beef shank-2 inch cubes
about 1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 ounces Spaetzle style noodles

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil and sauté the onion until carmelized. Add the garlic and caraway and cook for 1 minute. Combine the paprika, marjoram and thyme and add to garlic, stirring for another minute. Stir in tomato paste until smooth then add vinegar, broth, bay leaf and beef cubes; sprinkle lightly with some of the salt and a little pepper. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and cover, cooking until meat is very tender stirring occasionally (about 2 1/2 hours). Remove lid and continue to simmer to reduce sauce as desired. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with cooked noodles.

*Recipe inspired by Wolfgang PuckÂs goulash.

Marilyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Wolfgang's recipe and reviews

"danain" That REALLY sounds Hungarian! Am going to add it to my recipe collection and use it the next time around. Also like your tips! Many thanks for posting.