Radio România Internațional

Tag: bell pepper

  • Goulash Contest

    Goulash Contest

    At the end of last week, an open-air museum in Dumbrava Sibiului hosted a cooking contest. Five families took part in the contest in which they were supposed to cook the best goulash, which is a staple meal in Transylvania. The winners will take part in the world’s biggest goulash contest, to be hosted by neighboring Hungary.



    Roughly 500 liters of goulash were cooked in Dumbrava Sibiului, with ingredients provided by a producer of organic food and some of the farmers in the area. The Sibiu contest is in line with a series of other cooking events aimed at promoting a holiday destination.



    Goulash is a stew or soup of Hungarian origin, which can also be found in Transylvania, Slovakia, Serbia and Italy. The stew is usually made up of pork, beef, onion, carrots, bell peppers, parsley and seasoned with spices like pepper, paprika and caraway. If potatoes are added, goulash looks more like a stew and can be served as the main course.



    In order to prepare goulash you need a kilo of finely chopped pork, which is browned in hot oil, or according to tradition, in lard. Take the meat out of the pan and in the same oil or lard sauté several finely chopped onions, two shredded carrots, a finely chopped bell pepper and a couple of garlic cloves. After having sautéed the vegetables put the meat back in the pan, pour a cup or two of water, cover and let it simmer for 45 minutes.



    In order to get the specific reddish colour add paprika, tomato juice or paste, ground black pepper and if you want a hot goulash, add chili pepper. Salt the goulash to taste.



    Now, if you want your goulash to be thicker, before adding the spices, you can throw in chopped potatoes or small flour dumplings, which should boil for about 20 minutes. Goulash can be served hot with a glass of red, semi-dry wine. Enjoy!

  • Bell Peppers in Vinegar

    Bell Peppers in Vinegar


    Since bell peppers are in season, we dedicate this edition to the pickling of bell peppers in vinegar. This is by far the most popular method of preserving bell peppers all over Europe, as well as other countries. However, in Romania bell peppers are also pickled in brine, in which case they are filled with shredded sauerkraut or pickled red cabbage, or with pickled cauliflower.



    If you would like to make sauerkraut stuffed bell peppers to have winter long, take 5 kg, about 10 pounds, of bell peppers, one or two cabbages, two large celery roots, one kg of carrots, one liter of vinegar, a couple of tablespoons of oil, black peppercorns, a few bay leaves, a few tablespoons of honey, and salt.



    Carefully core and seed the bell peppers, making sure they remain otherwise untouched. Shred the cabbage, carrots and celery, then mix them well together in a large vessel with oil and a few peppercorns. Stuff the peppers with the mixture. Stack them into large pickle jars. Separately, prepare the vinegary brine. Use one liter of vinegar for every two and a half liters of water, and for every liter of water use one tablespoon of salt, one tablespoon of honey or sugar, and a couple of bay leaves.



    Bring this mixture to a boil, then carefully fill the jars with peppers, making sure the glass does not crack. Cover the peppers completely, then seal immediately with cellophane. You can dig into them as early as a week later. They go wonderfully with a steak or barbeque.



    If you are in for a more adventurous experience, there are the midget bell peppers, which are very hot. The heat is made slightly less by pickling, but they still pack a punch. In the Mediterranean region they are stuffed with soft cheese, such as goat cheese, and are enjoyed as a cold snack or entrée. Whichever you prefer, enjoy!