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Serves: 4-8
Hungarian Pörkölt a thick stew cooked over an open fire. It's secret ingredient is the Piros Arny (Papirka paste). You can always make it in a slow cooker, but my favorite way is to sit around a fire with friends sipping on Bokisch Graciano as it simmers away.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds meat (it can be beef, pork, lamb or chicken as well), cut into one-inch cube
- Bacon fat (substitute olive oil)
- Half a pound of chopped yellow onions
- One head of garlic
- 2 Tbsp dried, smoked paprika
- 3 Tbsp of Piros Arny (Paprika paste)
- Half a liter of red wine (2/3 bottle)
- 1-2 quarts Beef stock (or warm water)
- Six, small golden potatoes, chopped into one-inch pieces
- Two chopped red bell peppers
- Two chopped Pasilla peppers
- Cumin (two tsp, or more, to taste)
- Black pepper (two tsp, or more, to taste)
- Salt to taste (remember that the Piros Arny is salty)
Instructions
- Fry the meat on high heat till browned on the outside.
- Add the onions and the red and Pasilla peppers onto the browned meat.
- Once onions are golden and peppers are soft, lower the heat and stir in the smoked paprika. (Don’t stir too long. You don’t want the dried, smoked paprika to burn as it will create bitterness.)
- Add half a liter of red wine and enough warm water or beef stock to cover the meat.
- Add the chopped potatoes and the hole garlic cloves.
- Add the three Tbsp of Piros Arny, and the cumin, black pepper and salt to taste.
- Leave everything to simmer until the beef becomes tender, stirring it every fifteen minutes.
- Replace the evaporated liquid with more stock or warm water.
Notes
You can buy Piros Arny at gourmet food stores (or Amazon). One tube will last you for years!
The Hungarian’s make Perkolt in the country over an open fire. It’s what hunter’s cook out in the mountains or the farmer’s during harvest out in the field. The smoke of the fire adds a whole new dimension to the flavor and it can cook for hours.
While the fire is going, bring a cutting board and prep the onions, potatoes and peppers while sipping on a glass of wine…
What I love about making Hungarian Pὄrkὄlt is the opportunity to sit around the fire with friends. Don’t forget the snacks! Below are some slices of Manchego with homemade Membrillo and Fig Cake by Markus.
