Recipe - Hungarian Green Beans

4 pound Beef; (e.g. shank)
1 pound Onions
2 tablespoon Paprika; (sweet and/or hot),
up to 3
Red wine
Salt; pepper
Shortening; (lard or neutral
vegetable oil)
Smoked bacon rind; (skin)
Dry or fresh chilies to
taste

Cut meat into 1 One half inch cubes. Cut onion into thin rings. Check wine for
flavor by tasting. This is important, so check more than once. The wine
should be fullbodies and dry, neiher sour nor sweet. If it isn't, use
water instead. In a large casserole, heat the oil or lard and saute onions
until transparent. Add beef cubes in portions. Saute them until golden
brown, stirring almost constantly. Add paprika. Immediately afterward the
paprika add 12 glasses of wine, stir. Add enough water to cover and salt
to taste. Add bacon rind and chillies (e.g. Hungarian cherry) to taste and
cover. Taste from time to time; if smokey flavor starts to predomeinate,
remove bacon rind. Cook until done and the liquid is reduced; if there is
not enough liquid left, add water, stock or wine. Add pepper and adjust
salt before serving. Serve with pasta (gnocchi = spaetzle, etc.), potatoes
or crusty white bread, beer or the wine used in cooking (if ther's any
left).

Other kinds of meat (poultry, game, pork, veal, lamb or even horsemeat) can
be prepared the same way. Add more water and vegetables (carrots, parsnips)
and it becomes a soup.

This is the basic recipe used in my family for three generations. People
who have suggested thickening the sauce with flour were instantly declared
persona non grata. Czechs and Germans add marjoram and caraway seeds, even
garlic. Do so at your own peril.

Posted to CHILEHEADS DIGEST by "Dr. Anna BUCSICS" bucsics@ping.at on Oct
04, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.