Beef Goulash
Hungarian beef goulash, simmered slow with sweet paprika and caraway. Tender beef in a rich red broth.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 2 h 30 min
- total
- 2 h 55 min
- serves
- 6
- level
- medium
Goulash started as a herdsman’s dish, cooked in a kettle over an open fire on the Hungarian plains. The real thing is closer to a rich soup than a thick stew. Sweet paprika gives it the deep red color. Caraway gives it the smell.
Two rules matter. Give the onions time, and keep the paprika away from direct heat. Get those right and the rest is patience.
method
Melt the lard in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook them slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until golden and completely soft. This is the base of the dish, so don’t rush it.
Pull the pot off the heat. Stir in both paprikas and let them bloom in the fat for 20 to 30 seconds. Off the heat they won’t scorch and turn bitter.
Put the pot back on the heat. Add the beef and stir until every piece is coated in the paprika fat. Cook for 5 minutes, until the meat loses its raw color.
Add the garlic, caraway and bay leaves. Season with salt and stir for a minute, until fragrant.
Pour in the stock and bring to a bare simmer. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 1½ hours, stirring now and then.
Add the peppers and tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cook for a final 25 to 30 minutes, until they are tender and the beef falls apart under a spoon. The broth should coat the spoon but stay loose, closer to a rich soup than a gravy.
Taste and season well. Rest the pot off the heat for 10 minutes, then serve with crusty bread.
chef's tips
- Paprika burns in seconds and turns bitter. Always bloom it off the heat.
- Goulash tastes better the next day. Make it ahead and reheat it gently.
- If the broth cooks down too far, add hot water. It should stay spoonable.