Author Topic: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...  (Read 10125 times)

K Frame

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American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« on: January 17, 2020, 07:41:14 AM »
It was goulash in my family when I was growing up. Mom made it a bunch of times, but I've not had it, or thought about it, in decades. In a lot of ways, it's basically homemade beef-a-roni.

Someone posted about it on faceplace the other day, and so this weekend I'm going to be taking a trip down memory lane. It should be perfect for tomorrow, given that it's going to be snowing in the morning and raining in the afternoon and generally gross as hell all day.

This is the recipe I'm going to use: https://www.budgetbytes.com/goulash/

Probably won't put the green peppers in, I'm not crazy about them.

I'm also going to double the recipe so I have lunches for all next week.
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zxcvbob

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2020, 09:44:19 AM »
My mom called it goulash.  We ate it a lot, but I think she made it with rice instead of macaroni; can't remember, the rice might have been something else.  Also she didn't add wine; we almost never had wine in the house (but we usually had beer)
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K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2020, 10:58:55 AM »
We never had wine or beer in the house unless someone gave us a bottle around Christmas.

The rice would be an interesting hack. I could get into that.

I remember being so confused when I was maybe 15 or so and had actual Hungarian Goulash for the first time.
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Ben

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2020, 11:04:52 AM »

I remember being so confused when I was maybe 15 or so and had actual Hungarian Goulash for the first time.

Heh. I was confused looking at your link.  :laugh:

My mom grew up in a kraut village in Hungary, so they did a good bit of Hungarian cooking, including goulash. My mom made it here as well, though her "Americanizing" it was more going to thicker gravy rather than the soupy kind of goulash. I used to love eating that goulash and dunking my mom's fresh homemade bread in the gravy.

The one at your link actually looks pretty tasty though, even if it isn't true goulash. Exactly the kind of thing I like for a cold day inside.
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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2020, 11:14:17 AM »
Are you modifying it to make it in the Instant Pot?
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charby

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2020, 11:24:49 AM »
Called Goulash growing up, hated it very much. Mom made with the cheapest elbow macaroni (usually over cooked), tomato paste, onions and hamburger. Just very plain tasting and doughy.
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Ben

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2020, 11:38:29 AM »
I just did a search, and this "American goulash" popped up more than traditional goulash if you just type in "goulash". Even Cowboy Kent Rollins makes it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4O76oeToN4

This one looks similar to what my mom made, though my mom also did one with a little thicker gravy as I mentioned:

https://www.spendwithpennies.com/hungarian-goulash/

I'm actually getting hungry for it now. Dammit Mike.
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charby

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K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2020, 11:53:45 AM »
I don't have an instant pot. I'll be making it on the stove top.

I suspect that this particular dish became known as "goulash," at least in Pennsylvania, because of the strong presence of both Hungarian and Italian ethnic groups
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K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2020, 11:57:34 AM »
Yeah, you overcook the macaroni and it won't be very good. I'm going to use the base recipe that I linked in, but I'm also going to add additional spices. I'm also going to add smoked paprika, even though it doesn't call for it, because damn it smoked paprika is GOOD.
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K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2020, 12:02:39 PM »
Alton Brown did an episode on Hungarian goulash. Looked good, but it was a multiday affair, IIRC.

Ah. Here's his recipe....

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-beef-stew-recipe-1948778
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zxcvbob

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2020, 01:31:07 PM »
Are you modifying it to make it in the Instant Pot?

I saw a recipe online that I will try soon:  Cook the meat in the Instant Pot on saute, with a little onion and garlic. Add 1/2 cup of water and stir it up to deglaze the pot, then add a jar of spaghetti sauce.  Add 8 ounces of broken dry spaghetti (do not stir)  Rinse the spaghetti sauce jar with 1.5 cups of water and pour that over the spaghetti.  Still don't mix it up, and that's supposed to be important.  Pressure cook for 8 minutes and quick release the pressure.  Now you can stir it.  Let it rest a few minutes before serving; it will thicken.

Eight minutes sounds like way too long.
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Ben

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2020, 01:34:05 PM »
Dammit, this has done it. I'm baking bread and making goulash for Sunday dinner now. Or possibly tomorrow, since it's supposed to snow.
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Fly320s

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2020, 03:25:02 PM »
Called Goulash growing up, hated it very much. Mom made with the cheapest elbow macaroni (usually over cooked), tomato paste, onions and hamburger. Just very plain tasting and doughy.

Same for me.  We also slumgullion but I think that was more like putting all of the leftovers together to make a dish.  American chop suey is just the La Choy canned food to me.  I hated it.
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K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2020, 07:48:17 AM »
"American chop suey is just the La Choy canned food to me.  I hated it."

Ooohh... that was some NASTY stuff, wasn't it? Came with that can of crispy noodles zip tied to the can of dog vomit...
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K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #15 on: January 19, 2020, 07:57:28 AM »
As is my standard, I took the base recipe and played around with the ingredients based on my likes.

I added chopped celery, more onion, and added Worcestershire sauce, and upped the spices from 1/2 a teaspoon (are you freaking kidding me? WHY ARE PEOPLE AFRAID OF HERBS AND SPICES?????) to a full tablespoon, and added a tablespoon of smoked paprika.

It was quite tasty.

I also used whole grain rotini instead of elbows because my store was out of whole grain elbows.

I'll be making this one again.
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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #16 on: January 19, 2020, 08:04:03 AM »
As is my standard, I took the base recipe and played around with the ingredients based on my likes.

I'm doing that with my Hungarian goulash this morning. I remembered as best I could my mom's recipe, then printed out several recipes that I got online. I'm going to mix what I consider the best parts of all of them together and simmer it all up in my dutch oven starting in a couple of hours.

Interestingly, one recipe by a Hungarian chef called for equal parts of meat and onions. I actually like "heavy on the onions" but I don't think I've ever had goulash with that much onion, including in the rather rare in the US Hungarian restaurant I've been to.
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charby

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #17 on: January 19, 2020, 11:43:05 AM »
(are you freaking kidding me? WHY ARE PEOPLE AFRAID OF HERBS AND SPICES?????)

I never got that either, my wife is like that, just a dash of pepper for the whole pot.
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K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #18 on: January 19, 2020, 06:44:43 PM »
I did add the green peppers, diced fine. Glad I did.

The wine? I picked poorly. It was ok for cooking but not very good todrink.

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zxcvbob

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #19 on: January 19, 2020, 07:38:56 PM »
I did add the green peppers, diced fine. Glad I did.

The wine? I picked poorly. It was ok for cooking but not very good todrink.


I made this yesterday, too.  (I had a pound of ground beef in the fridge, and a sad looking green bell pepper.)  But I didn't follow the recipe.  I browned the meat and broke it up but not too small.  Added the small-diced pepper and about half an onion.  When those were wilted good, I poured in a can of Hunt's spaghetti sauce and some oregano, Italian herbs, and a spoonful of Asian chili and garlic in oil (it also has shallots and a little salty shrimp paste.)  Cooked it all together until the "can" taste was gone.  Meanwhile I simmered 8 ounces of elbow macaroni in 2 cups of water and a small beef bouillon cube until the water was almost all absorbed, then turned it off an put a lid on the pot.  When the meat sauce was ready, I dumped the macaroni in, and stirred it all up, and cooked over very low heat just a little longer.  I probably added a little salt and pepper and garlic powder at some point, I don't remember.  I didn't have to buy anything for it; I had all this stuff already.

I made several meals out of it, and had a good amount left for Wife when she got home today.  There's just enough left for one of us for lunch tomorrow.

I didn't use any wine, but if I did it would probably be Peter Vella burgundy; it comes in a 5 liter box.  It's cheap and good for drinking or cooking, and it keeps pretty well even after it's opened because the bag keeps the air out until you get to the very last half a glass.
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Larry Ashcraft

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #20 on: January 20, 2020, 12:10:30 PM »

The wine? I picked poorly. It was ok for cooking but not very good to drink.

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What did you pick?

Quote
I didn't use any wine, but if I did it would probably be Peter Vella burgundy; it comes in a 5 liter box.  It's cheap and good for drinking or cooking, and it keeps pretty well even after it's opened because the bag keeps the air out until you get to the very last half a glass.
Posted on: January 19, 2020, 04:44:43 PMPosted by: Mike Irwin

Boxed wine is fine for cooking, and OK to drink. I would have picked Merlot or Cabernet, but that's me.

K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #21 on: January 20, 2020, 03:39:05 PM »
"what did you pick?"

Barefoot Pinot Noir.

I've had other Barefoot wines before, mostly whites. They're OK, so I figured I'd be OK with one of their reds. Not a fan.
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Larry Ashcraft

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #22 on: January 20, 2020, 07:14:43 PM »

Barefoot Pinot Noir.

I've had other Barefoot wines before, mostly whites. They're OK, so I figured I'd be OK with one of their reds. Not a fan.

Ah, OK.  Pinot Noir is a good wine, but way on the dry side.  I've seen Barefoot wines before, but don't think I've ever had any.  If you prefer whites, it may be that you just like them a little sweeter.  Chardonnay is what I drink if white is called for, but I usually prefer dry reds.

K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #23 on: January 20, 2020, 08:24:04 PM »
For a dish like this the dryer reds work better in my experience.

Barefoot just didn't have the depth of personality a pinot noir should have.

I would have gone with a Chilean malbec but couldn't find any in the store.

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K Frame

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Re: American Goulash, American Chop Suey, Slumgullion...
« Reply #24 on: January 24, 2020, 07:49:22 AM »
This stuff turned out so well that I'm going to make it again Sunday for lunches for the following week.
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