by Anne Dreer

• 2 lbs. onions
• Lard
• ½ T salt
• Meat (chicken, pork, beef, or veal)
• 2 T paprika
• 1-2 banana peppers (hot or sweet, according to your taste)
• Water (half cup at a time) as needed

Peel and cut up very finely at least 2 lbs of onions. In a heavy bottom pan (dutch oven), sauté the onions in lard—we never cooked with butter. Add about a half tablespoon of salt.  The onions  should become very soft and limp and taste sweet. You will also notice they shrink and it’s not as much as it first seemed.

Meanwhile cut up the meat, chicken, pork, beef or veal.

When the onions are ready add a couple of tablespoons on paprika, stir it thoroughly and immediately add the meat.  Stir it all together, reduce the heat to medium low and cover. One or two banana peppers (sweet or hot, a hot one will make the whole dish hot) may also be added. Do not add water at this time. Stir occasionally and keep covered.  

At first there will be a lot of juice from the meat. Gradually this juice will evaporate and you will need to add water, no more than half a cup at a time. Turn the heat lower if necessary.  When the meat is almost soft you may add a few cut up potatoes.  You can gradually add more water, a little at a time,  depending how soupy you want the goulash. The sauce should be quite thick from the onions.  It was usually eaten with a fork and fresh bread.  Pickled peppers go well with this. 

If using chicken add the potatoes with the meat, as chicken cooks quite fast.

Mahlzeit!

[Edited by Rose Mary Keller Hughes, Recipe Coordinator]

Last updated: 12/07/2025