Over the past year, I have tried several versions of Hungarian/Slovak/Czech Goulash. This recipe used pork and a lot of paprika and marjoram. At first I was hesitant to use that much spice but, trust me, it’s worth it. This flavorful Goulash soup is wonderful paired with a crusty bread. 
KETTLE GOULASH
1 ¼ lb. pork shoulder (you may substitute with beef or use half pork and half beef) into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp. lard or cooking oil
2 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp. paprika
1/2 tbsp. ground caraway seeds
1 tbsp. marjoram
12 oz. potatoes
1 medium carrot diced
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 medium parsley root diced (I substituted 1 chopped red pepper)
1 large tomato chopped (I substituted a 16 oz. can diced tomatoes)
1.5 liter (or 4.2 cups) water
Salt and pepper
- Heat oil or lard in a large pot and cook the onions until translucent.
- Add the meat and fry until it is pale brown and sealed.
- Add parsley, carrot, celeriac, paprika, marjoram tomato and simmer over low heat until the meat is half cooked. (I added garlic at this point vs. later
- Add water and simmer gently for another 30-40 minutes.
- Add potatoes and cook for further 10-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
- At the very end, add the crushed garlic and cook for another minutes.
- Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot.
Recipe slightly adapted from Global Slovakia course Slovakia: Beyond the Known
Fork Lore 