Goulash glory: Bavarian Pichelsteiner, a timeless one‑pot wonder

German goulash, or Pichelsteiner or Bismarck goulash, is a simple one-pot meal you can easily prepare in the comfort of your kitchen. I got the recipe for this dish from a friend in Bavaria. In her family home, Pichelsteiner is a cult dish.

Bismarck goulash (Pichelsteiner) is a German stew made from several types of meat and vegetables. The dish originates from Bavaria, but when it was first prepared remains a topic of debate. Some stories say that German goulash was invented in 1742 when a farmer's wife had to feed a large military unit passing through town. She had only scraps of meat, cabbage, and turnip, which she placed in a large pot (called "pichel") and cooked over a fire.

Others attribute the creation of the dish to Bavarian innkeeper Augusta Winkler, who worked in Grattersdorf. The name Pichelsteiner likely comes from the nearby Büchelstein mountain, where the annual Büchelsteiner Fest has been celebrated since 1839 (in the local dialect, the letter ü is pronounced like i). Quickly prepared, the warm dish was widely appreciated and remains popular to this day.

Ingredients:

• 1 litre of meat broth,
• 1 onion,
• parsnip root,
• 300 grams carrots,
• 700 grams potatoes,
• 1 leek,
• 400 grams pork stew meat,
• 400 grams beef (e.g., brisket),
• 1 clove of garlic,
• pepper, salt,
• 1 teaspoon cumin,
• 1 bay leaf,
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter,
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika,
• parsley.

Preparation:

1. Remove tendons from the meat and cut it into cubes.
2. Chop the onion and garlic.
3. Slice the potatoes, parsnip, leek, and carrots. Chop the parsley.
4. Brown the meat in hot clarified butter for 5-8 minutes on all sides. Season the meat with salt and pepper at the end.
5. Add the vegetables, season with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the bay leaf. Sauté everything.
6. Next, pour the broth into the pot and bring to a boil.
7. When the stew begins to boil, reduce the heat and cook until the meat is tender.
8. If necessary, season the finished German goulash and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with potatoes, dumplings, groats, or bread.