Veal paprikas

I was looking for something interesting to cook for dinner last Saturday, and I went to the grocery for some inspiration. At first, no ideas hit me, and then when I saw they had veal blade steaks. I got a notion to try a Hungarian style Veal paprikas. It is a simple veal stew with onions, paprika and sour cream. I used Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream, which works just as well.

I had my neighbors over for dinner, and I got good reviews on this. It isn’t spicy at all, but well seasoned. Here’s how I made it.

3 lb. of veal blade steaks

3 tbs. lard (actually I used duck fat)

2 large onions, chopped 

2 tbs. Hungarian paprika

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup of sliced shiitake mushrooms

1 can of tomato paste

2 cups of chicken broth (actually I used duck stock)

Salt and fresh ground white pepper

2 cups of sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)

Maggi seasoning

Egg noodles, cooked and drained

Preparation

This takes a little time to cook, and will make the house smell real nice. Heat a large braising pan. Add the lard or duck fat and let it melt. Add the onions and stir. You want to cook the onions, stirring often, until they are golden brown. Don’t let them burn, but instead, gently let them caramelize and sweeten over lower heat. This will take about twenty minutes, so don’t rush it.

While the onions are doing their thing, cut the veal off the bones and into little cubes. When the onions are a beautiful golden brown, remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the paprika. Stir that into the onions and fat for a minute, and then return the pan to the stove. Add the veal and stir. Cover and let that begin to cook. 

Add the tomato paste and stir well to mix it with the veal. Cover and let the moisture from the meat accumulate in the pan. After about ten minutes, add the mushrooms and peppers. Stir and cover. When they begin to soften, add enough broth to give the sauce a gravy thickness, and stir. Scrape up anything that stuck to the pan. Let this simmer, covered, for about fifteen minutes.

Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, and then stir in the sour cream or yogurt. Stir to blend it well. Cover and let that simmer a few minutes. Sprinkle on a few dashes of Maggi seasoning and stir. Turn off the heat, and let it rest, covered, while you cook the noodles.

Serving

We had the paprikas served over a big pile of noodles. I also served sauerkraut simmered with a little caraway. The meal started with an East European style duck soup, and I also served homemade cocktail rye bread. I opened a bottle of dry red wine from the Republic of Georgia to wash everything down.