Long before his presidency and marriage to Melania Trump, former president Donald Trump was married to Ivana Trump, a beautiful and successful woman who grew up in Czechoslovakia, who recently passed away in 2022. In this video from the early 90's at the height of her divorce from Donald, she teaches how to make traditional Hungarian goulash.
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In 1991, Ivana Trump and Donald Trump were in the midst of a tumultuous divorce after a 14 year marriage, during which they had Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Trump Jr. The pair met in 1975, when Ivana was working as a model. They had a seemingly happy marriage for about a decade, but things went south when Donald Trump started seeing a mistress, who he would later marry.
Although Ivana Trump was going through a rough time, her marital struggles don't stop her from being charming and lovable as she makes delicious-looking Hungarian stew. This Eastern-European dish is made in both Hungary and the Czech Republic, but as Trump says, the Hungarian goulash is similar to Czech goulash. The name originates form the Hungarian word gulyás, which means "herdsman."
Authentic Hungarian goulash is very different from American Goulash recipes, which involve tomato sauce, beef, and macaroni noodles. However, both are ideal comfort foods for a cold night or a hearty meal. You can make them on the stovetop in a large pot, or in a slow cooker, instant pot or crockpot for extra convenience.
Ivana Trump makes her beef goulash in the traditional way, using a large copper pot on the stove. Throughout the cooking process, Trump teaches Inside Edition how to follow her Hungarian goulash recipe.
How to Make Hungarian Goulash with Ivana Trump
Ivana Trump starts off by dicing onions and heating olive oil in a pot. She then says to sauté them until they reach a "nice rust color." As the diced onions saute, she chops the stew meat into smaller pieces, 1-2 inch cubes.
Trump explains that you want your meat to be fatty and juicy, not lean. At this point, her interviewer cuts in with "how do you keep this figure with goulash!" Ivana Trump explains her eating habits, saying that she eats anything she wants at night. Her one exception is rice pudding, which she doesn't enjoy.
Once the onions have reached the a perfect rusty color, she says to add in the meat, salt, and Hungarian paprika. This is the most important ingredient in the dish, Trump says, and her mother sends her the "good Hungarian paprika" all the way from Slovakia.
Then, she stirs the stew and cooks for about two minutes, and then adds water. The next step is the hardest, as it involves waiting for 45 minutes as the beef stew simmers on low heat to medium heat. As Ivana says, time to get a glass of red wine!
The next step is essential to the deliciously thick texture that makes this hearty stew what it is. Ivana Trump takes out some of the beef broth, and then mixes flour and water. She cooks this mixture for a few minutes, stirring it together and allowing it to thicken.
This goes into the goulash, making it into a perfectly thick and heavy sauce. By the time 45 minutes have passed, the stew should be full of fork tender beef and amazing flavors. Now it's ready to enjoy! Hungarian goulash is best served with dumplings, noodles, rye bread, or mashed potatoes, tasty with a garnish of parsley. As Ivana explains, it's even better on the second or third day, when the flavors have combined and strengthened!
