How apple cider vinegar can transform your goulash game

Anyone who has ever made goulash knows how crucial the meat is. Sometimes, slow braising alone is not enough to achieve ideally tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef. However, this does not mean that preparing goulash becomes challenging for talented cooks because a simple trick will make it perfect every time. Everything you need to achieve delicious success can be found in your kitchen cabinet.

The secret to quickly obtaining tender meat is using apple cider vinegar. Vinegar, of course, is an acid, and acid prevents juices from leaking from the meat during cooking by coagulating the protein. This causes the meat to braise in its own juices, becoming tender and delicate. You also avoid the risk of drying it out.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the meat already browned on both sides. Then mix everything thoroughly and braise on low heat until the smell of vinegar is no longer noticeable. Only then can you add the remaining ingredients for the goulash. This simple trick works with any meat, whether pork, beef, or poultry. This makes preparing goulash faster, and the meat achieves the perfect texture.

Besides apple cider vinegar, there are a few other ways to get perfectly tender meat in goulash:      

• Adding a pinch of sugar. Caramelising the sugar during braising gives the meat a beautiful colour and a delicate sweetness.
• Adding pineapple juice or pulp. Enzymes in the pineapple accelerate the breakdown of proteins in the meat, making it tender and juicy.

Cooking should be made more accessible so that the time spent in the kitchen is associated only with pleasure and delicious food instead of stress and nerves. Don’t worry about your goulash; add a bit of magic to it.