WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I’m originally from Germany but we’ve been living here in Colorado Springs for many years now.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU SHOP THE STORE? I typically come in on a weekly basis, but I’m just now getting by to see the new store. I’m just thrilled! It’s beautiful; it’s nice, airy and fresh-looking. I buy a lot of things in bulk here. Today I’ve got my birthday coupon to cash in, and I think it’s awesome that you do the birthday program.
WHAT ARE YOU BUYING TODAY? Mostly ground beef, stew meat, and sausages. We heard you are grilling burgers today, so we’ll have to try that too. We love buying everything fresh. We are grateful the store is here. The taste is different, and there isn’t all the preservatives in the meat. It feels good to know you are doing something good for yourself.
FILL IN THE BLANK: WHEN I THINK OF FALL, I THINK OF… Hungarian goulash. I’ll buy some stew meat and make a goulash with paprika and a dark brown gravy, all made from scratch. What I do is I brown the meat and use the drippings for the gravy. I don’t believe in using a lot of salt, so I use pepper, garlic and some paprika to give it flavor and then I round it out with red wine. The alcohol cooks out of it but the flavor stays in. After I brown the meat and make the gravy, I mix it together and put it all in the oven. After about two hours, you have the perfect goulash. You can serve it over rice, but we usually use wide egg noodles.
DESCRIBE A GREAT DISH YOU’VE HAD LATELY AT HOME OR EATING OUT: Our son was here for a short visit this weekend so for him I made German schnitzel and potato salad, and the next evening my husband made your rib-eye steaks, which we had been saving in the freezer for a special occasion. They were really good steaks!
I make my schnitzel with pork. I usually buy tenderloin and have them cut it ¾-inch thick. When I’m ready to use it, I beat it with a tenderizer, roll it in egg and Italian breadcrumbs, and fry it in a pan. If I need to use a little oil I use olive oil, because it’s a healthy choice.
Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash
3 lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into 1″ cubes (or stew meat)
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2″ diagonals
4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4″ cubes
16 oz. whole fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
4 c. beef broth
3 T. tomato paste
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. Hungarian sweet paprika (or substitute plain paprika)
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Place beef in slow cooker. Cover with carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onion and garlic. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients, and then add to the slow cooker. Stir a bit to combine. Cover and turn heat to high. Cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until beef and veggies are very tender. (It can also be made at the low heat setting if allowed to cook all day.) Serve in bowls with crusty bread.
