Game Goulash...!!

What is Goulash...?!?!?!?... It’s a stew, a Hungarian stew to be specific, with origins that trace back to the 9th century, the time when Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans. It is a dish that was mostly eaten by Hungarian shepherds and gained popularity throughout the centuries and became more prominent during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The feast, made up mostly of meat, typically of beef, veal, pork or lamb and an array of vegetables and spices such as caraway seeds, cayenne pepper, bay leaf and thyme. There are several different variations of goulash and they are all different in the type of meat and spices added. For example, there is a Hirsch Goulash a German variety that focuses on venison, wild boar and lamb. The Serbian variety most closely resembles the original, and spans all of the Serbian regions from Bosnia-Herzegovina all the way to its most southern Serbian province of Kosovo. There are versions from the Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Polish, and even as far south as the Ethiopian variant of the dish. The main difference between all of the goulash varieties is in the choice of the meat and the vegetables. So, I created my own variant, an Ohio version or as I kindly name it, Game Goulash. My mix of goodies consists of venison and lamb, and the vegetables include carrots, peppers, mushrooms and onions. The spices are garlic, smoked paprika and caraway seeds.

Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds of venison, it can be any cut as you will have to cut into 1 ½ inch cubes. I had a backstrap already in my freezer and I purchased an additional 1 pound of loin chop from Whitefeather Meats in Creston, Ohio. We love these guys; The Perkins family has been in the butcher business for generations and what I love about them the most is their high standards in animal husbandry.

• 1 pound of lamb, once again, it can be any cut, as it will need to be cut into 1 ½ inch cubes

• 4-cloves of garlic, but I always use more like 6-8

• 1-stalk of carrots, keep the greens for garnishing if you choose

• 1-pound mushrooms, preferably sliced

• 2-medium size yellow onions, you can slice or dice, I typically dice as its easier

• 2-red bell peppers, you can use a yellow pepper, as well, but no green pepper, it’s not sweet enough

• ¼ - cup of paprika, I use smoked paprika but you can use Hungarian paprika if you like

• 3 Tbsp of all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp of caraway seeds, these are great as they are typically found in foods that originate from Western Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. They are also named Meridian Fennel or Persian Cumin.

• 2-Cups of beef broth

• 4 tsp of tomato paste

• Red wine for marinating

Prep and Instructions:

• After cutting the meat into cubes, wash thoroughly and marinate overnight. The marinate should consist of a 1-cup broth and 1-cup red cooking wine. I chose Cotes de Rhone, it’s a great dry wine and very suitable for cooking. Add in a good spice, I always use 2-Tbsp of The HUNTCHEF-Reel Dam Deal spices, but you can use any spice of your choice. Mix it all together and let the meat soak it in overnight in your refrigerator.

• The next day, in a large skillet, add about 3 Tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil. I prefer olive oil as it has a better vitamin content than vegetable oil. Olive oil is high in vitamin K and E, versus vegetable oil where there are minimal nutrients after processing. But either is acceptable.

• Brown the meat over medium heat, once the meat has been browned, add in ¼ cup of paprika, 3 Tbsp of flour and 2 tsp of caraway seeds. Mix it all in and cook for a minute of two.

• Once the meat has been browned and the above spices added it should have a reddish-brown coloring, transfer it into a crock pot.

• Once the meat is settled in and spread evenly along the bottom, add 2-cups of beef broth into the slow cooker.

• Add the vegetables into the slow cooker and give it a general mix.

• Finally, add in the tomato paste, sea salt and garlic.

• Once this is all put together into the crock pot, give it a final mix.

• Close the lid and set temp to high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10, your choice.

• Once ready you can serve over rice or noodles. I chose Campanella from Ohio City Pasta, another local gem here in Ohio. Look them up in our Favorites section here on our website.

Conclusion:

Yes, this dish is great…!! I received a double thumbs up from the family and the meat with the marinade was perfect, it gave the correct taste to the game meat. I strongly recommend this one and don’t be afraid to mix it up and create your own delicious version of this classic dish.

I paired this dish with a very soft French Bordeaux, originating from the French Chateau Dauzac vineyard which dates back to 1629, I selected a 2019 Dauzac Bordeaux, the soft, dark in color wine is filled with tones ranging from blackberries, smoke, violets, licorice and trace of a flowery flavor.