Hungarian Goulash
Goulash is a traditional Hungarian stew where beef chuck is slow-cooked with generous amounts of paprika until the meat falls apart at the touch of a fork. Onions are fried until golden, then paprika powder and garlic are toasted briefly in the fat - this step dissolves the paprika's red pigment and smoky flavor into the oil, defining the color and taste of the entire stew. After browning the beef, tomato paste, beef broth, and caraway seeds are added, and the pot simmers on low heat for over an hour until the connective tissue in the chuck breaks down completely. Potatoes go in for the final thirty minutes, absorbing the paprika-infused broth while their starch naturally thickens the liquid into a rich, cohesive sauce.
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Instructions
- 1
Cut beef into 4cm cubes and season with salt and pepper.
- 2
Fry onions in oil until golden.
- 3
Add paprika and garlic, cook 1 minute.
- 4
Add beef and brown on all sides.
- 5
Add tomato paste, broth, caraway, cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.
- 6
Add potatoes and cook 30 more minutes.
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