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I am trying to figure out how to season the ground meat in my goulash. Here are the ingredients that are in the dish. What seasonings would be best so that the dish comes together nicely?

Other ingredients:

  • turkey sausage
  • corn
  • red bell pepper
  • green onions
  • tomato sauce
  • oregeno
  • egg noodles
  • a little bit of mild salsa
  • topped with shredded cheddar cheese
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re-reading ElendilTheTall's answer, his scepticism seems correct-- are you sure it is goulash you want to make, not some sort of burrito filling? –  Doug May 17 '11 at 19:45

4 Answers 4

Well, for a start it's not really goulash without paprika. Having visited Hungary numerous times I'd also say it's not really goulash with ground meat, turkey sausage, corn, egg noodles, salsa or cheese either, but each to his/her own.

Thyme is always nice in stew-style dishes, as is a bay leaf. Other than that just salt and pepper.

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I propose the zest of several oranges! (Along with the aforementioned paprika, of course.)

UPDATE: It just occurred to me I used to toast caraway seeds, crush them and add them to the mix as well.

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for goulash,ditch the turkey, ground beef, cheese, salsa, and corn. Add chunks of beef (or maybe mutton), lots of paprika, some potatoes, garlic. Probably needs other ingredients as well, pepper for example (or something similar).

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You're direction here is.. unique, for a goulash. However, as I look at where you're going with this, I'd say be sure to use a proportionally larger quantity of both red and green bell peppers, too.

I think what defines the flavor of the dish is the duo blend of bold beef and bell pepper, with a minor presence of tomato. Paprika helps establish robustness to that taste, as will onion and garlic. The rest is just ancillary, but will add depth. Elendi's recommendations for spices are spot on, and I might add pinches of rosemary and marjoram if there's enough beefiness to support that extra headiness.

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