Budapest Market Tour And Hungarian Cooking Class Goulash
Budapest Market Tour And Hungarian Cooking Class Goulash

Which Meat is Best for Goulash Soup?

Most of the Hungarian recipes agree that one of the best meats for a top notch traditional Hungarian goulash soup is Beef shank. Of course, you can make goulash soup from many other meats, even turkey thigh, but to achieve the best quality you will need beef shank or a meat most like beef shank. If you were wondering if there is a vegetarian or vegan version of Hungarian Goulash, the answer is yet, and we would call it the bean goulash or babgulyas vegan style (bean goulash also contains meat traditionally).

Beef Shank for Hungarian Goulash Soup
Beef Shank on the left for Goulash Soup

Marhalábszár refers to the shank or lower leg of a cow. This part of the animal comes from the area below the knee and above the hoof, typically known for its tough, lean meat, rich in connective tissue.

Due to its fibrous texture, marhalábszár is ideal for slow-cooking methods like braising or stewing, making it a popular cut for traditional Hungarian dishes like gulyás (goulash) and stews, where the long cooking time helps tenderise the meat and develop deep flavours. The connective tissue also melts down during cooking, adding richness to the dish.

Substitutes of Beef Shank in Hungarian Goulash Recipes

The best meats for goulash soup are cuts that can withstand long, slow cooking while becoming tender and flavourful. Here are some of the top choices, but please do ask the butcher what they suggest as the meat is a central element of meaty goulash recipes. In order of preference, here is a list of meat options:

  1. Beef Shank (Marhalábszár): This cut from the cow’s lower leg is ideal for goulash. It has a good amount of connective tissue, which breaks down during slow cooking to create a rich, tasty broth and tender meat. This is a traditional choice in Hungarian goulash recipes​
  2. Beef Chuck Roast (Marhalapocka): Another great cut for goulash, chuck comes from the shoulder area of the cow. It is well-marbled with fat, which adds flavour and tenderness as it cooks slowly. It’s often used for stews due to its ability to remain juicy after hours of cooking.
  3. Beef Brisket (Marhaszegy): This is a fattier cut that also becomes very tender after slow cooking. Brisket is good for goulash if you want a richer, more succulent dish.
  4. Mutton – some goulash recipes (Birkagulyas) are made with mutton knuckles (lean meat) or mutton shoulder. Mutton can have a characteristic pungent smell so if you are new to mutton, it may be a better idea to start with another meat.
  5. No Beef? Turkey Thigh: For a meaty, healthier variety you may try to cook goulash with diced turkey thigh. Not ideal and will not reach the same depth and characteristics, but if you need to avoid darker red meats, like beef, turkey may be a good alternative. Using turkey will shorten the cooking time to which will save on energy costs. It is not unheard of the use the neck of the turkey, especially if you enjoy the succulent bits of the turkey neck.
  6. No Beef? Pork Thigh – Shoulder – Chuck: If you like the sweetness of pork or that is what you have in the fridge, it will also work for goulash soup (some even prefer it to beef)
  7. Vegan – Vegetarian – No Meat Goulash: For a hearty vegetarian or vegan Goulash variety, skip the meat and use beans. The fatter beans the better, but you can also use red kidney beans. Butter Beans (Lima Beans) are perhaps the best. These beans are significantly larger than cannellini beans, with a creamy texture and a mild, buttery flavour. They are often used in stews and casseroles as well as meaty and non-meaty Hungarian goulash soup varieties.

In goulash soup, the key is slow cooking, so meats that are typically tougher but develop deep flavours over time are the best choices. These cuts ensure that the soup is hearty, with tender pieces of meat.

As you may have sees browsing Hungarian goulash recipes, the base of goulash is quite similar across most regional recipes, but each area has its own special twist that makes it unique.

Regional Varieties of Goulash Soup

The Goulash Soup – open air bográcsgulyás (cauldron goulash) –  is considered the traditional version.

  • The Alfoldi / Alföldi  Goulash(from Eastern Hungary the flat bit called Great Hungarian Plain) goulash is a particularly rich variant.
  • The Szeged Goulash version (from the southern town of Szeged, twin city of Cambridge UK) often includes 4-5 mm wide tiny dumplings called csipetke for added texture. The csipetke or ‘pinchies’ are pinched off the dough and rolled along your finger tips or left ragged.
  • In meat-free and low or lower cost Hungarian Bean Goulash, beans can be replacing the meat completely or mixed with meat, lessening the amount of meat needed in the recipe, bring a unique flavour.
  • In the Hungarian / Transylvanian version from the formerly Hungarian town called Kolozsvár (today known as Cluj-Napoca in Romania), the style of the goulash is with sweet cabbage, where the sweet / sour cabbage brings out more fermented flavours and is a special addition in the goulash varieties.
Authentic Hungarian Shepherd Pipe Making Goulash Outdoor Hortobagy 1908 Fortepan : Magyar Földrajzi Múzeum : Erdélyi Mór cége
Goulash, Hortobagy 1908 Fortepan : Magyar Földrajzi Múzeum : Erdélyi Mór cége

The common factor in all these versions is the use of high-quality meat. Choosing the right ingredients is essential for preparing a delicious goulash.

 

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