Gulyás – Hungarian beef goulash
Tender beef and vegetables in a paprika-seasoned broth
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp bacon fat, lard or vegetable oil
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 2 lbs beef, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 Tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed
- 1 bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces or a mixture of sweet and hot peppers
- 3 plum or Roma tomatoes, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups beef stock
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt half the fat in a Ducth oven over medium heat and brown the beef. Remove beef from pot.
- Melt remaining fat in the pot and cook the onions until translucent but not browned. When they start to get clear stir in the garlic.
- Add the peppers and cook for a minute. Then add the caraway seeds and paprika. Stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds being sure not to burn the paprika.
- Pour the beef broth into the pot. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
- Return the cooked meat to the pot and allow to come to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer for 90 minutes.
- If you are adding carrots and potatoes, add them now. Cook for another 30 minutes or until beef is tender.
- The gulyás should be thinner than a stew like a hearty soup. Serve with csipetke (Hungarian pinched pasta), knedlíky (Czech bread dumplings), egg noodles or pasta.
Notes
Many gulyás recipes call for carrots and diced potatoes. If you plan to use them, slice 2 carrots and dice 1 pound of peeled potatoes. Add them to the soup in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Optional seasonings include bay leaf, marjoram, celery with leaves and vinegar. Try different combinations until you find one you like most.