Goulash (Beef, Lamb or Veal)

Recipe No. 316 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Meat, carcass — 50 pounds
• or — as needed
• Meat, boneless — 35 pounds
• Onions, chopped — 5 pounds (5 No. 56 dippers)
• Beef or bacon fat — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Garlic, ground — ½ pound
• Majoram, powdered* — ¾ ounce (3 mess kit spoons)
• Salt — 4½ ounces (9 mess kit spoons)
• Paprika — as needed
• Water, boiling — 1¼ gallons (5 No. 56 dippers)
• or — as needed
• Tomatoes — 1½ No. 10 cans
• Flour, sifted — as needed
• Water (for flour) — as needed

Directions

Key ingredients

Bacon Grease

1. Cut meat into 1-inch cubes.
2. Cook onions in fat until light brown; add cubed meat and cook until brown.
3. Add garlic, majoram, salt, and enough paprika to color red.
4. Add water or tomatoes. Cover tightly. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 3 hours or until meat is tender. Add more liquid as needed. Drain.
5. Mix flour and a small amount of water; stir until smooth. Add to liquid. Heat to boiling point; boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Combine gravy and meat; heat to serving temperature.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Meat, carcass — 4 lb or — to taste Meat, boneless — 2 lb 12¾ oz Onions, chopped — 6⅓ oz Beef or bacon fat — 1¼ oz Garlic, ground — ⅔ oz Majoram, powdered — about ⅓ tsp Salt — about 2¼ tsp Paprika — to taste Water, boiling — 1⅔ cups or — to taste Tomatoes — 1½ cups Flour, sifted — to taste Water (for flour) — to taste

If available.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 316, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.