Slow-Cooked Beef Goulash

A slow-simmered beef goulash with onions, paprika, caraway and peppers, cooked until the beef is tender and the sauce is rich.

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Central European goulash relies on patience and paprika rather than lots of ingredients. Browning the beef and cooking the onions properly give the stew its depth.

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg beef chuck (cut into 4 cm cubes)
• 3 onions (finely sliced)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil or lard
• 2.5 tbsp sweet paprika
• 0.5 tsp hot paprika (optional)
• 1 tsp caraway seeds (lightly crushed)
• 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 900 ml beef stock (preferably low-salt)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp marjoram (dried)
• 1.5 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• potatoes or bread dumplings (to serve, optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and season lightly with salt. Heat half the oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches so the pan does not become crowded. Transfer browned pieces to a plate.
2. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining oil and the onions, and cook for 12–15 minutes until deeply softened and golden. Stir often so the onions colour evenly without burning.
3. Add the garlic, caraway and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat briefly before stirring in the sweet and hot paprika; paprika can become bitter if scorched in very hot fat.
4. Return the pot to the heat, add the bell pepper and browned beef, and stir until everything is coated in the paprika mixture.
5. Pour in enough stock to nearly cover the beef. Add the bay leaves, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to the lowest steady simmer and cover with the lid slightly ajar.
6. Cook for about 2 hours, stirring every 25–30 minutes. Add a splash of water or stock whenever the sauce becomes too thick before the beef is tender.
7. When the beef can be easily pierced with a fork, uncover and simmer for another 15–20 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Stir in the marjoram.
8. Taste carefully and adjust the salt and black pepper. Rest the goulash for 10 minutes before serving with potatoes, noodles, bread or dumplings.