Austrian Goulash
By: Debby aka "Food...
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 11:17pm

Ingredients




4-5 pounds stew cut meat*, cut into bite-sized chunks
flour seasoned with Kosher salt & cracked pepper-- about 1 cup flour, 1 Tbsp salt & pepper
2 large onions, sliced thin
olive oil for searing
2 tsp. Hungarian Hot Paprika
1 Tbsp. mild paprika
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
zest of one small lemon
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 large can tomato sauce (approx 4 cups)
½ cup beef or chicken stock (or water)
kosher salt & pepper to taste
flour for searing meat
NOTE: My recommended cut of meat, if your butcher can provide it, is "chuck eye roast". It's a very tender cut of meat that braises beautifully.

Preparation

1 You will need a large Dutch oven with a lid for best results. Add just enough olive oil to coat the pan and turn the heat high enough to make the oil shimmer, but not smoke. 2 Pat the meat dry and dredge in flour, seasoned with kosher salt & cracked pepper. 3 Add one piece of meat to the hot oil to make sure that it sizzles. Add the remaining meat, without crowding the pan and sear for about 3-4 minutes per side. You want a golden crust that will give the gravy great flavor. 4 Cook the meat in batches, if necessary and set aside in a bowl-- to collect the juice. 5 When all the meat is seared, turn the heat to medium and add a little more olive oil to the pan and cook the onion until tender-- 3-4 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook till fragrant-- 30 seconds or so. 6 Add the tomato paste and paprika, and cook for 1-2 minutes. 7 Add the tomato sauce, caraway seeds, lemon zest and chicken stock and stir well. 8 Bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes and taste for seasoning. Adjust as necessary. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little more chicken stock or water until it is the consistency of a gravy. 9 Simmer for 2 hours, or you can use a slow cooker for 4-6 hours. 10 This stew tastes even better if made one day in advance.  Serve or buttered egg noodles or spaetzle or Bavarian Bread Dumplings-- recipes coming soon to my blog!

About


This recipe was taught to me by my Bavarian Mutti. I have, since, tried to measure and journal how to make this wonderful stew. This stew is made with beef chuck, a combination of hot and mild paprika with a touch of caraway seeds. Served over spaetzle, buttered noodles or with tradition Semel Knoedel (bread dumplings) this is a family favorite recipe. Please visit my blog for a tutorial on how to make this at: http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/austrian-goulash-semel-knoedel-bread.html