How to cook bograch properly

Bograchis a delicious and extremely flavorful Hungarian soup that has quickly gained popularity in Transcarpathia. Those who have had a chance to vacation in this picturesque part of Ukraine have definitely heard of the famous first course, which has become an integral symbol of Transcarpathian cuisine. Today, bograch is cooked in almost every home. And right now, the dish is more relevant than ever because you will need all the seasonal ingredients that you have at hand to prepare it.

The FoodOboz editorial team will share the recipe and all the secrets of cooking the famous bograch.

To prepare the Hungarian soup, we need the following ingredients:

• beef - 1 kg
• lard - 100 g
• potatoes - 1 kg
• onions - 2 pcs
• carrots - 1 pc
• bell pepper - 2 pcs
• tomatoes - 2 pcs
• garlic - 3 cloves
• tomato paste - 1 tbsp
• ground paprika - 2 tbsp
• cumin - a pinch
• ground black pepper - to taste
• salt - to taste
• water - 1-2 liters

Method of preparation:

1. Wash the meat and cut it into small pieces. Finely chop the lard.
2. Cut the potatoes into large pieces. Chop the onion. Dice bell pepper, carrots and tomatoes. Chop the garlic.
3. Put the lard into a preheated thick-walled cauldron and fry the onion until soft. Add paprika and stir.
4. Add the meat, garlic and cumin. Stir well over high heat and let the meat set.
5. Then add a glass of water so that the meat is not boiled but stewed. The fire should be lowered. Stir the meat from time to time, adding water so that it does not evaporate completely, and cook under the lid for 1.5-2 hours.
6. When the meat has softened, add carrots and potatoes, stir and cook bograch over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
7. After 10-15 minutes, add bell peppers, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. At this stage, adjust the amount of water to the desired thickness of the bograch.
8. Bring the soup to a boil and cook under a lid for 15-20 minutes. Let the finished dish brew for another 10 minutes.

Secrets of bograch

• You can cook bograch in a saucepan, of course, but the traditional and proper Hungarian soup is prepared exclusively in an open-air cauldron. This way, the soup will have an amazing flavor.

• It is best to add ingredients according to your own taste. It doesn't matter if you don't like potatoes and leave out this ingredient altogether. Or vice versa - you are delighted with tomatoes and put in a little more than the recipe calls for.
• Bograch loves big companies. So, in no case should you taste a gourmet dish alone.