Recipe: Hungarian Steak Soup (using round steak and egg noodles)

HUNGARIAN STEAK SOUP

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless round steak, 3/4 inch thick, excess fat removed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
1 medium onion, preferably a sweet onion such as Vidalia, half coarsely chopped and half thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, half cut into chunks and half cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, half cut into chunks and half cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, Hungarian preferred
1 teaspoon hot paprika, Hungarian preferred
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted briefly
6 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons tomato paste
Salt
6 ounces wide egg noodles
Sour cream, for garnish

Heat oil in an uncovered pressure cooker over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Pat the steak cubes dry with paper towels. Add half the meat and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the remaining meat and repeat browning process. Transfer the meat to the bowl.

Add the chopped onion and chopped bell pepper (reserving the sliced onion and pepper for later) to the pressure cooker. Stir frequently until the vegetables soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the paprikas, black peppers and the caraway seeds and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the beef broth, then add the bay leaves, garlic, tomato paste and the steak cubes.

Cover and seal the pressure cooker and bring to full pressure over high heat Regulate the heat and cook for 20 minutes. (If using a conventional pot, simmer the meat, partially covered, for 1 hour.) Release pressure and uncover the cooker. The meat should be cooked through and tender. If not, re-cover the pot, regain full pressure and cook an additional five minutes.

Pour the soup through a colander into a bowl, leaving as much of the meat as possible in the pot. Pick out the meat cubes in the colander and return to the pot. Discard the vegetables in the colander and any remaining in the pot.

Add the uncooked onion and bell pepper to the pot and pour broth atop the vegetables and meat. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat to low and cook at a simmer until the vegetables are just tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add salt and noodles and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the noodles and portion 1/2 cup of the cooked noodles into each of six soup plates. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and serve at once. Pass sour cream at the table.

Makes 6 servings
Source: Steak Lover's Cookbook by William Rice