It’s happening in a month. En and I have to get ready to this round. Last year we won the award for the most unique chili.

Last year we did an all-meat chili mainly from Cooks Illustrated. Two beef primals and a massive pot later (which we also used to deep fry turkeys) as had five gallons of chili.

This year we plan on making up a Hungarian chili: Pörkölt. Technically it’s a chili because of the paprika.

Here’s the starter recipe we’re using (though we’ll make a few small batches first):

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef, cubed
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 Italian green pepper cut to strips
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup water or as needed

Directions
Wash beef and cut into 3/4″ cubes. Soak beef cubes in cold water for 20 minutes. Discard water. Meanwhile, fry onions in lard until golden brown, add garlic. After about 2 minutes, add tomato slices and the green pepper strips. Continue frying at low temperature for 5 minutes more, then add paprika. Keep stirring, then after 3 minutes add beef cubes. Turn up the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until beef cubes are well coated with paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes then add salt, marjoram, black pepper and water. Simmer until stew is tender. Stir occasionally. Cooking time varies with the grade of meat used for the stew. If you used a good cut the pörkölt can be cooked in about an hour.

I might increase the ratio of hot paprika to the mix. The instructions say soak meat for 20 minutes. I chop of the beef and let it soak while I chop everything else. I don’t think it matters much if you go long. This goes well over spätzle (or if you prefer the Hungarian name: nokedli) or egg noodles. The longer it simmers the better it gets. The end consistency should be like a thick sauce, so when simmering you can add water to get there. It’s even better on day two.

The batch I made up last night was the best yet. Simply amazing depth of flavor. I’m toying around with some toppings to go for the audience vote at the cook-off. Chopped raw onions worked well. Sour cream would be a natural addition. Perhaps some really sharp aged cheddar would work as well. I’m going for the interactivity component of the competition.

The one thing that worries me — and it did last year too — is that this has no filler. This is beef. Nothing but beef. BEEF. 2 pounds made around 1/2 gallon give or take. We need 20-30 pounds to make the requisite five gallons of chili. That’s a goodly chuck of a cow.

Just sayin’.

(Now, if someone shows up at the Chagrin Falls Chili Cook-off with the same recipe, well then you’re just itching for a fight. So don’t.)

One more plug to get you to come. Admission gets you ALL YOU CAN DRINK BEER.

Just sayin’.  

See ya there!

Here’s a recipe that’s a tradition in our family. I’ll post pictures when it’s done and out of the oven.

Zserbó Szelet (pronounced zherbo selet)

Pastry:
350g flour
1 egg
50g sugar
200g butter (almost two sticks)
.1l milk (100g)
10g yeast (1 packet)
pinch of baking powder
pinch of salt

Filling:
120g ground walnuts
120g powdered sugar
200g raspberry jam

Topping:
4tbs cocoa
4tbs sugar
50g butter

Directions:

Mix the yeast in the lukewarm milk with one cube of sugar. Mix the flour and margarine. Add the yeast mixture, sugar, egg, pinch of baking powder and pinch of salt. Knead well. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Roll each out into a 35×25 cm sheets (10×14″), but don’t roll all the way to the edge since it will rise from the yeast. Spread the lower sheet with half of the jelly, nuts and powdered sugar mixture. Place the other sheet on the first and spread the filling on it as well. Place the third sheet on top to cover. Let rest at room temperature for one hour. Preheat over to 180C (Gas #2) (350F). Poke the top layer to prevent bobbling and place in the preheated oven. Bake slowly until the top is light brown (12-15min). When it’s cooled, glaze with the chocolate. For this mix the cocoa with the sugar and a little water until it’s smooth, stirring constantly with a whisk while cooking. Take off the heat and and throw in the butter and stir until the butter has melted. Before pouring the chocolate mixture onto the pastry, add the egg white to the lukewarm chocolate — it’ll make it shiny. Pour it onto the pastry and spread it smooth and allow to harden. Wait an hour or two! Cut into slices or cubes.

The most challenging part it working with the filling. It gets to be a sticky gooey mess and it’s hard to spread on the delicate dough. Next time we’re going to try to add a tablespoon or two of water or vodka to thin things out. Why vodka? To add fluid that quickly evaporates.

Makes 16 dumplings

Dough:
2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) russet or baking potatoes
1 egg
3 1/2 Tbsp (50 g) butter (softened)
2 cups (250 g) flour
Pinch of salt

Stuffing:
16 Plums – pitted (You can also used canned plums)
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Coating:
1 Stick + 3 Tbsp butter (150 g)
1 1/2 cups (150 g) dry (unseasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
Pinch of salt

Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Boils the potatoes in their skins in salted water until they’re cooked through. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel them and push them through a ricer (is you don’t have a ricer use a potato masher to be sure that no lumps remain). Cool. Meanwhile, halve the plums and sprinkle the insides with the sugar and cinnamon (if the plums aren’t very sweet add and extra tablespoon of sugar).

In a mixing bowl, add the egg and butter to the riced potatoes and combine. Add the flour and salt and knead until all the ingredients are well combined. Form the mixture into a ball.

On a large floured surface, roll the dough out roughly into a square shape with 1/3″ thickness. Cut into 16 pieces.

To form the dumplings, place two plum halves in the center of a dough square and bring the four corners together to cover the plum. Pinch the dough, and be sure to completely cover the plum (otherwise all the good juices will spill out).

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dumplings, but don’t overcrowd the pot (you may need to do two batches). Gently stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Cook for about 12 minutes. Meanwhile heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and add bread crumbs, powdered sugar, and salt. Stir well until combined and keep cooking until bread crumbs are lightly browned, stirring so the mixture cooks evenly,

To serve, roll the dumplings in the bread crumb mixtures until well coated. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle extra bread crumbs (if there are any) on top. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with extra powdered sugar for sprinkling. You can add some cinnamon to the sugar to make things even better!

Tip: If the dough gets too warm, refrigerate it when you’re not working on it.