Recipes

Rose Veal Paprikash

Sweet and smoked paprikas bring depth and balance to this Kentucky take on the iconic Hungarian dish.

  • Serves

    4–6

  • Cook

    5 hours 45 minutes

MICHAEL TITTEL

By Ouita Michel


Published on May 15, 2024

Ouita Michel traveled to Hungary with her parents on a fateful trip in the summer of 1985. There, the Kentucky chef fell in love with paprika and the many soups and stews Hungarian home cooks make with it. Michel grew up eating veal ethically raised on her family’s cattle farm in Wyoming, and when Our Home Place Meat started promoting its rose veal program, Michel decided to create a home-grown version of Hungarian veal paprikash. Chuck or rump roast (or a combination of the two) work best in this dish.

Unlike traditional veal, which typically comes from young cattle raised in unsanitary feedlots, rose veal (also called rose beef) is always pasture-raised, and can be purchased online from Our Home Place Meat, a cooperative of farmers dedicated to high animal welfare standards.

Ingredients

  • 4 lb. rose veal stew meat, cut into 2-in. pieces
  • 2½ cups dry white wine
  • 3 bay leaves
  • Handful of fresh mint, oregano, fennel fronds, and thyme
  • 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp. curry powder
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 cup fresh tomato juice or tomato purée
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • Cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Cooked grits, egg noodles, or rice pilaf, for serving
  • Finely chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Step 1

To a large, nonreactive container, add the veal, wine, bay leaves, fresh herbs, and black peppercorns. Cover tightly and transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 2 and up to 12 hours. 

Step 2

When you are ready to cook the veal, drain well, reserving the wine and bay leaves (discard the other herbs and peppercorns). Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then season generously all over with salt. Sprinkle with the curry powder and toss to coat. 

Step 3

To a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, working in batches and without crowding the pan, brown the veal all over, 25–28 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and set aside. Stir the carrots, celery, and onion into the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking 2 minutes more. Stir in the sweet and smoked paprikas, then return the browned veal to the pot. Stir in the reserved marinade, tomato juice, and chicken stock, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to simmer. Cook, uncovered, skimming any foam or grease that rises to the surface, until the veal is cooked through but not yet tender, about 1½ hours. 

Step 4

Stir the red peppers into the pot and continue cooking until the veal is very tender when poked with a fork, 1–1½ hours more. 

Step 5

Stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue simmering until the cooking liquid is thickened and glossy, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the sour cream, continue cooking 2 minutes more, then remove from the heat. Season to taste with cayenne pepper (if using) and salt. Ladle over bowls of grits, egg noodles, or rice pilaf, garnish with parsley, and serve hot.

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