After a vacation filled with eating in restaurants and grabbing fast food at rest stops, nothing sounded better than pulling out my Landesverband Frauengruppe Cookbook to make one of my favorite comfort dishes, goulash. The book contains several different goulash recipes—everything from recipes using fish to venison. I chose to make Liz Tindall’s (Trenton Donauschwaben) “Beef Goulash ( Rindsgulasch)”.
Goulash got its name from the Hungarian word, “gulyás,” meaning herdsman. The dish was popular among herdsmen because they had access to the ingredients and the cooking method did not interfere with their work. The dish could be cooked in a large pot over a fire in the field and it did not require them to watch over it and stir. The same is true with Liz’s Tindall’s recipe. The prep work is minimal and it demands little attention while cooking.
I chose this recipe because it is different from how I usually make the dish. Liz Tindall’s Goulash is made with crushed tomatoes and finished with sour cream. The crushed tomatoes create a thick, luscious sauce as the meat cooks and becomes tender. Also, her addition of sour cream at the end gives it a creamy richness not always found in goulash.
I served the goulash with Carpathia Frauengruppe’s (Carpathia Club, Detroit) “German Noodles (Spätzle)” found on page 147 of the book. I have tried countless spätzle recipes over the years and I always end up either adding more flour or liquid in order to get the consistency I want. However, Carpathia Frauengruppe’s recipe came out perfectly and can be easily doubled to feed a crowd. The spätzle was delicious on its own and even better once coated in the flavorful goulash.
I look forward to making both of these recipes again. I imagine Liz’ Tindall’s goulash recipe would be great in a slow cooker—perfect for keeping the kitchen cool during the hot summer. And Carpathia Frauengruppe’s spätzle is now my go-to recipe. I cannot wait to make another batch and test out Julie Baker’s (Chicago Donauschwaben) Käsespatzen on page 149.
By Jenn Lineman Blank
Beef Goulash (Rindsgulasch)
2 pounds beef (cut into cubes) 2 cups water
4 tablespoons flour 1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons red paprika
1 garlic clove minced 2 teaspoons salt
3 onions chopped pepper to taste
1 large can crushed tomatoes 1 cup sour cream
Roll beef cubes in flour until cubes are completely covered. Brown well in butter. Add onions and garlic and cook a few minutes. Add tomatoes, water, bay leaf, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Cover and simmer until tender Add more liquid if necessary and more paprika if desired. Take out bay leaf. Blend in sour cream. Thicken gravy with flour. Serve over noodles.
