Straight from field to table, this comforting stew cooks venison in a hearty broth until it’s perfectly tender.
Chili is arguably a distant cousin of goulash. At very least, they are similar in flavor. Though Hungarian style goulash ditches the chili powder and instead uses highly fragrant ground caraway seed to form it’s flavor base. It can be difficult to find ground caraway powder, so I find it easier to track down the whole seeds and then I use a super handy and inexpensive spice grinder to grind the powder myself. The other signature flavor of goulash is a very generous amount of paprika. In this case, a good quality Hungarian style sweet paprika is recommended. And yes, there’s a huge difference in quality between paprika styles, so it’s worth splurging on the good stuff.
Overall, goulash is a great stew option for those who aren’t huge fans of spicy food. This recipe would be perfect served with Hungarian nokedli (similar to spaetzle) but you can also use spiral noodles as an easy and tasty substitution.
The goulash also calls for four cups of broth, and while you can use chicken or beef, I encourage you to try and make your own venison stock for just such an occasion!
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Recipe: Hearty Hungarian-style Venison Goulash Stew
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 6
Ingredients
3 lb venison chunks/cubes
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground caraway powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 cups venison broth (can sub with chicken or beef)
15 oz tomato puree
3 tablespoons paprika
16 oz mushrooms, cut into quarters
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a heavy pot over high heat, brown the venison with a little oil until the meat is brown on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium, and add more oil to the pot, then the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the meat back to the pot, along with the salt, caraway, paprika, oregano. Stir to combine.
- Add the Worcestershire, balsamic, mushrooms, tomato puree and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook for 4-5 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
