The other day my DSIL called and asked for my goulash recipe. She said her DH complained that her goulash tasted nothing like mine. (Evidently he loves my recipe according to her.) I sat down and put the recipe into an email for her. The way I make goulash today is a slight variation from the way my Mother made it when we were growing up. I was surprised to see that I had never posted this recipe before here at Zaar. Believe it or not I did check through all 375 goulash recipes posted and NONE of them were the same as this one. So for all posterity...here it is.
Drain any residue fat if there is any in the meat.
04Cook the macaroni in boiling water for about 8 or 9 minutes. This is important. DO NOT overcook…it should be very 'a la dente' or only about half cooked.
05Drain the macaroni well; rinse with cold water and set aside. The cold water will help the macaroni to stop cooking and keep it from sticking while it waits to go into the skillet.
06Add the tomato paste, 1/2 cup water and the stewed tomatoes to the meat. When adding the stewed tomatoes, pick up each tomato with your hand and squeeze it to crush it more as you put it in the pan.
07Turn the heat back on.
08Add the 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and the 1 teaspoon msg. This is when I begin to taste test the juices to see if it needs more salt and pepper.
09Sometimes it looks too thick and I will add a little more water to the juices.
10Add the macaroni and cook on low to medium heat ONLY until the juices are mostly cooked into the pasta.
11I always taste test at the end in case it needs more seasonings.
12Each piece of macaroni should be lightly coated with the red sauces of the tomato products when finished.
13FIRST NOTE**
14My Mother told me that the key to good goulash was the black pepper. She said that it should have a little ‘bite’ of the pepper and not be bland in flavor, or as Emerill would say…BAM!.
15SECOND NOTE**.
16There is nothing worse than overcooked pasta. It will get mushy if overcooked. Even when finished it should not be too soft.