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Mutton stew served with fresh bread and pickles
Deep red Hungarian mutton stew served with galuska dumplings and pickles

Traditional Hungarian mutton stew

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Mutton stew is not for those in a hurry, nor for the weak of stomach. This is the heavy artillery of Hungarian gastronomy. Mutton has dense fibres and a distinctive flavour, for which the technique of 'frying down to the fat' and good quality red wine are essential. The goal is a thick sauce (pörkölt base) that isn't watery broth but a creamy emulsion of onion, paprika, and collagen.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 3 hrs
⌛ Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 750 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Cauldron or thick-bottomed saucepan
  • Wooden spoon

Allergen Information

⚠️ Sulphur dioxide

Instructions

1 ✓

Stew base: Sweat the finely chopped onion in the lard very slowly until golden yellow. Do not fry it, but wilt it so it will fall apart.

Tip: Plenty of onion thickens the sauce.
2 ✓

Adding Paprika: Remove from the heat. Sprinkle in the red paprika, stir, and immediately pour on a little water so it doesn't burn.

Tip: Paprika is fat-soluble but heat-sensitive. If it burns, it becomes bitter.
3 ✓

Starting the meat: Put back on the heat, toss in the meat. Turn over in a high flame until the meat whitens and releases juices.

Tip: This is the searing phase: protein coagulates in the outer pores of the meat.
4 ✓

Cooking: Add the crushed garlic, cumin, diced pepper, and tomato. Cover and cook over a low flame in its own juice.

Tip: Do not top up with water at the start! The meat releases enough.
5 ✓

Frying down to fat: When the liquid has boiled away and only the fat sizzles (this happens approx. every 30-40 minutes), pour a little water and the red wine underneath. Repeat this until the meat softens (2-3 hours).

Tip: This cyclical process (searing-topping up) gives the dark, thick sauce.
6 ✓

Serving: Serve with salted boiled potatoes and pickles (fermented cucumber).

Tip: Mutton is a heavy dish; pickles help digestion.

Recipe FAQ

It has a strong 'tallow' taste.
Mutton must be scalded with hot water before cooking, and the tallowy parts removed. Red wine and plenty of garlic also help.
The liquid remained thin.
There was too little onion, or you didn't boil away the water enough times (frying to the fat).

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Mutton (shoulder, shin mixed, diced)
  • 3 heads Red onion
  • 3 tbsp Lard (fat is essential for the flavour)
  • 2 tbsp Paprika (good quality)
  • 1 pc Yellow wax pepper
  • 1 pc Tomato
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 150 ml Dry red wine
  • 1 tsp Salt