BEEF AND ONION GOULASH

Beginning of May and another grey, cold and rainy weekend with temperatures on an all-time low, so we are still craving for comfort food. This time it's another one of my childhood memory dishes: Goulash. Goulash is originally from Hungary, and was most likely adopted in Austria during the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There are many versions of it: with peppers, wine, different spices, and with more or less onions. I like mine with a lot of onions as I find it's the onions as well as the paprika powder that  differentiate the Goulash so much from other beef stews. I cut them very finely, and they melt and thicken the sauce in a nice rough and tasty way. The beef used is typically
stewing or braising beef, which, simmered or braised for a long time, becomes very tender. It's very nice with 'Nockerln' (dumplings) and 'Semmeln' (bread rolls), that we break up and put in the sauce to soak up the beautiful juices. Goulash warms up very well. I made this in the early evening hours and then let it sit in the oven at low temperature until bed time.  So nice to have Sunday lunch ready made. 

Recipe source: my mum

Makes 4-6 portions: 

1 kg braising beef, or beef shoulder, cut into app. 5 cm cubes
1 kg onions, finely diced
100ml oil or lard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato puree
2 Tbsp mild paprika powder
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
100ml red wine
1 1/2 tsp majoram
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 l beef stock
salt

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.

Cut the beef into app. 5 cm cubes. Dice the onion very finely. Peel and crush the garlic. 

Heat the oil in a heavy oven-proof casserole. Heat the oil or lard and fry the onions over medium heat until golden brown. Add the garlic, tomato puree and paprika powder and fry until fragrant. Add the meat, then deglaze with a splash of vinegar and the red wine.  Leave the wind to evaporate completely, scraping any burnt on bits from the bottom of the pan (= sucs). Pour in the beef stock, add the cumin and marjoram, and salt to taste. Bring to a quick boil, then cover with a lid and place into the pre-heated oven. 

Cook until the meat is soft and fork-tender. To tell if it's done, insert a fork into a piece. The fork should slide in easily, but the meat should also drop off easily. If not, keep on cooking. Depending on the meat and the size of the cubes this can take 3-5 hours, but it's all worthwhile the wait :-) In the last half hour remove the lid to let the juices reduce and the sauce thicken. If preferred, the sauce can also be thickened by mixing a little flour and water in a cup into a thin paste (= slurry) . This is then added to the Goulash under constant stirring, and with the pot now on the hob, to bind the sauce, making sure the sauce is cooked long enough afterwards to completely cook out the flour flavour. The sauce can also be pureed. We prefer ours just as is with the sauce thickened naturally by the melted onions. Serve on pre-heated plates with Nockerln and Semmeln (white bread rolls), or buttered noodles, or Spätzle.

________________________________________________________

BEEF AND ONION GOULASH      

Makes 4-6 portions: 

1 kg braising beef, or beef shoulder, cut into app. 5 cm cubes

1 kg onions, finely diced

100ml oil or lard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato puree

2 Tbsp mild paprika powder

1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar

100ml red wine

1 1/2 tsp majoram

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 l beef stock

salt

1) Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.

2) Prepare the ingredients: Cut the beef into app. 5 cm cubes. Dice the onion very finely. Peel and crush the garlic. Measure out all ingredients. 

3) Fry the onions: Heat the oil in a heavy oven-proof casserole. Heat the oil or lard and fry the onions over medium heat until golden brown. 

4) Add the garlic, tomato puree and paprika powder: Add the garlic, tomato puree and paprika powder and fry until fragrant. 

5) Add the meat: Add the meat and stir it with the onions. 

6) Deglaze with vinegar and wine: deglaze with a splash of vinegar and the red wine.  Leave the wine to evaporate completely, scraping any burnt on bits from the bottom of the pan (= sucs). 

7) Add the stock, spices, herbs and seasoning: Pour in the beef stock, add the cumin and marjoram, and salt to taste. 

8) Braise: Bring to a quick boil, then cover with a lid and place into the pre-heated oven. 

Cook until the meat is soft and fork-tender. To tell if it's done, insert a fork into a piece. The fork should slide in easily, but the meat should also drop off easily. If not, keep on cooking. Depending on the meat and the size of the cubes this can take 3-5 hours, but it's all worthwhile the wait :-) In the last half hour of cooking, remove the lid to thicken the sauce. 

9) Make the Sauce: In the last half hour remove the lid to let the juices reduce and the sauce thicken. If preferred, the sauce can also be thickened by mixing a little flour and water in a cup into a thin paste (= slurry) . This is then added to the Goulash under constant stirring, and with the pot now on the hob, to bind the sauce, making sure the sauce is cooked long enough afterwards to completely cook out the flour flavour. The sauce can also be pureed. We prefer ours just as is with the sauce thickened naturally by the melted onions. 

10) Serve: Serve on pre-heated plates with Nockerln and Semmeln (white bread rolls), or buttered noodles, or Spätzle.