Marhapörkölt (Hungarian Beef Shank Stew with Red Wine)

• 600 g beef shank (shin), cut into cubes
• 40 g smoked bacon (füstölt szalonna), finely diced
• 250 g onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tomato (130–150 g), chopped
• 1 green pepper (Hungarian wax pepper, 130–150 g), chopped
• 1 tsp ground caraway, plus a pinch near the end
• 2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 4–5 garlic cloves, chopped, plus a little more near the end
• Chilli: a little hot pepper or hot paprika, to taste
• 100 ml dry red wine (Egri Bikavér)

Method

The cook speaks Hungarian; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Dice the smoked bacon and fry it in a heavy pot over medium heat until the fat runs out. Meanwhile chop the onions finely. 0:46
2. Rinse the beef shank, pat it dry and cut it into cubes. 2:10
3. When the fat has rendered, add the onions with 1 tsp salt and fry until golden brown. 3:55
4. Add the chopped tomato and pepper, then the beef, and turn it in the onions for a few minutes. 4:26
5. Stir in the ground caraway and sweet paprika, then the garlic and hot paprika to taste. 5:17
6. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble. 6:30
7. Add just enough water to cover the meat and vegetables and simmer at least 2 hours, letting the liquid cook down until it almost catches, then topping up a little water again — repeat to build a thick sauce. 7:15
8. Fifteen to twenty minutes before the end, add a little more garlic and caraway, and simmer until the beef is tender and the sauce thick. 8:45

Tip. Serves about 3 (the cook doesn't say), or 4 with nokedli or boiled potatoes on the side. Pickled cucumbers or a cabbage salad keep it lower in carbs. Freezes well.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.