Time Travel Meals: Slumgullion, Goulash, Mulligan Stew

                                      

Slumgullion, Goulash, Mulligan Stew 

Day two of Depression Era recipes.  Ever heard of slumgullion?  Goulash (no, not Hungarian Goulash – this is different), or Mulligan Stew?  All have traceable roots back to the “suddenly homeless” (at that time called hobos, vagabonds) who were hungry and learned to take what they could find or were given and turn it into something that was not only filling, but was also enough to be shared.  You did not have to be homeless to find the value in cooking these dishes.  Many families crowded around dinner tables and ladled steaming stews into bowls with biscuits and cornbread at the ready.  

All three of these types of recipes have common frameworks:  1) a base using some sort of beef and broth; 2) fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables; and 3) family favorite seasonings.  It was likely that it never turned out the same way twice – sometimes plenty of meat, sometimes not.  Sometimes a huge variety of garden vegetables, sometimes not.  They did not have the convenience of as many “store-bought” canned vegetables or frozen vegetables that we have.  It is from our comfort zone in the “land of plenty” that we feel hard-pressed right now.  Be optimistic, be frugal, and be thankful for any/all of the ingredients you can get.  

Depending on which twist you take, you can call this Slumgullion, Goulash, or Mulligan Stew but your family will be blessed when you call it DONE!  My recommendation for a flavorful stew:

Ingredients

Beef stew meat – whatever you can afford/find (you can also use round steak or any
         inexpensive cut of beef 

¼ - ½ cup plain flour 

Salt 

Pepper 

½ teaspoon paprika (add to flour to dredge flour) 

 ¼ cup oil

Refrigerator gold – leftover veggies – anything/everything. 

Alternative to refrigerator gold:  cans of veggies; frozen veggies; fresh veggies.  

Possible vegetables that would be happy together:

Ø  Carrots

Ø  Onions

Ø  Potatoes

Ø  Celery

Ø  Stewed tomatoes

Ø  Cans or frozen Veg-All

Ø  Corn

Ø  Green beans

Ø  Peas 

Ø  Beans 

Ø  Turnips or beets (yellow ones – red will change the whole look)

Beef Bouillon cubes 

Beef Broth (cans and cartons – better yet homemade) 

French onion soup (canned or packets) 

2 bay leaves – remove these before serving 

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

Remember we are going for a stew consistency so we will need to thicken this at some point.  Thickening options:  1) mix equal parts cornstarch and water then add slurry to pot; 2) add instant mashed potatoes very slowly to pot and wisk in with each addition until desired thickness; 3) add barley to the soup base; 4) add fresh potatoes that you do NOT put in water once diced – this keeps the starch in the potatoes and it will help thicken slightly; 5) tomato paste.    

1.     Cut the meat to a little bigger than bite-sized and dredge in flour seasoned with salt, paprika, and  pepper.

2.     In a Dutch oven/pot, brown beef in oil. You will have to keep stirring this to keep the flour from sticking and burning.  When meat is brown …

3.     Add beef broth, onion soup, 2 cups water, bay leaves, garlic salt, oregano, basil and dill; bring to a boil. 

4.     Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 2 hours. 

5.     Then start adding your choice of vegetables – if already cooked (leftovers) do not need to cook as long as if you added fresh. If you add fresh onions, be sure and sauté them in butter in a skillet before adding them – same for celery.  

6.     When all vegetables are tender – check and see how much thickening you need.  Then refer to previously mentioned ways to thicken. 

7.     Don’t forget to remove bay leaves before serving.  

I call these “one time only” because it is very, very unlikely that I will ever use the exact combination of ingredients again.  Fuzzy name, fuzzy ingredient list, firmly fabulous!  Make this a “one for you, one for me” challenge and make sure you share some with just the right person who needs to feel some love right now.