Food my mother used to make

My mother (Czech) made a soup that she called Goulash. I
remember it as being a sweet-sour, spicy, soup with pieces of tomato and roast beef. Very 'soupy' and satisfying.

By the time I was grown she did not remember so I experimented and created this.


Goulash --as interpreted by George Dvorak. (Al Wooten tells me that this would qualify as 'Chili')
2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
2 lbs. onions, chopped - you may put these in with the beef or just in the pot
3 large cans tomatoes, whole, sauce, puree --whatever
1 large can 'pork and' beans --is there really any pork
1/4 cup vinegar (can get too sharp)
1 tablespoon sugar (a necessity)
1/4 teaspoon cloves (be careful)
1 teaspoon ginger ( be liberal)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-4 bay leaves

Brown the ground beef, you may add the onions if you wish, drain

Put the tomatoes in a large kettle, over medium heat,
rinse the cans and add about a can of water

Add spices

Add onions

Add the drained beef

When the mixture boils turn the heat to low and simmer for a while (an hour or so)
Add the beans, and simmer --be careful the beans stick

Add noodles if you wish, they will thicken the mixture if it is too thin, else add some water with the noodles

This gets better after it sits a day or so, you can use it for several meals

Yes, the result is not particularly soupy and does not have the wonderful flavor of my mothers. But I have brought it to innumerable functions and had only an empty container to carry home.