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Rich beef stew served with paprika sauce
Hearty beef stew with rich paprika gravy.

Rich Hungarian Beef Stew (Pörkölt)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Beef stew is a dish of patience. Tough cuts like shank or chuck transform into nobility through slow cooking. The secret to the thick sauce isn't flour, but a massive amount of onions that melt down into a creamy emulsion with the collagen and fat from the meat.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 2 hrs 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 3 hrs
🍽️ Servings 5 servings
🔥 Calories 620 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Dutch oven or heavy pot
  • Chef's knife
  • Wooden spoon

Instructions

1 ✓

Trim sinew and cut beef into 1-inch cubes. Finely dice onions.

Tip: Onions must be fine to melt into sauce.
2 ✓

Sauté onions in fat over low heat until golden and pasty (15-20 min).

Tip: Salt onions early to draw out moisture.
3 ✓

Remove from heat, stir in paprika. Immediately add beef and garlic. Return to heat and sear.

Tip: Bloom paprika in fat, but don't burn it.
4 ✓

Add chopped tomato, pepper, caraway, and salt. Add just enough water/wine to barely cover.

Tip: Stew, don't boil. Keep liquid low.
5 ✓

Simmer covered on very low heat for 2-2.5 hours until fork-tender.

Tip: Collagen needs time to turn to gelatin.
6 ✓

Reduce sauce if needed to thicken. Serve with dumplings (nokedli) or potatoes.

Tip: Better the next day.

Recipe FAQ

Why is the meat tough?
Needs more time. Beef requires hours to break down connective tissue. Add a splash of water and keep cooking.
Why is the sauce bitter?
Burnt paprika. Always remove pot from heat before adding paprika, then immediately add liquid.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Beef Chuck or Shank, cubed
  • 3 large yellow onions
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 heaping tbsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground caraway seeds (recommended)
  • 1 medium tomato
  • 1 medium green bell pepper
  • 3 tbsp Lard or Oil
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine (optional)
  • 2-3 cups water (as needed)