Goulash

Hungarian Beef Goulash (Gulyás)

A classic Hungarian beef and vegetable stew richly coloured and flavoured with sweet Hungarian paprika. Slow-cooked until the beef is fork-tender, it is traditionally served with crusty bread or small egg dumplings (csipetke).

Prep

20 min

Cook

150 min

Total

170 min

Serves

4-6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (1¾ lb) beef shin or chuck, cut into 3 cm / 1¼ inch cubes
• •30 g (2 tbsp) lard or sunflower oil, lard is traditional
• •500 g (1.1 lb) onions, finely chopped
• •3 g (1 tbsp) sweet Hungarian paprika, use genuine Hungarian sweet paprika for colour and flavour
• •1 g (1 tsp) hot Hungarian paprika, optional, for warmth
• •2 g (1 tsp) caraway seeds, lightly crushed
• •2 clove (2 cloves) garlic, minced
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •5 g (1 tsp) tomato paste
• •500 g (1.1 lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm / ¾ inch cubes
• •2 g (1 tsp) salt, plus more to taste
• •800 ml (3¼ cups) water or beef stock, stock adds depth
• •0.5 whole (½) red bell pepper, sliced into strips, optional but common
• •10 g (2 tsp) fresh parsley, chopped, to finish

Steps

1. 1 Pat the beef dry. Melt the lard in a heavy pot over medium heat and brown the beef in small batches until well caramelised on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
2. 2 Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the chopped onions to the same pot with a small pinch of salt and cook gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent but not browned.
3. 3 Remove the pot from the heat for 30 seconds, then stir in the sweet and hot paprika, caraway seeds, garlic and tomato paste. Mix quickly so the paprika blooms in the warm fat without burning.
4. 4 Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Add the bay leaf and pour in the water or stock. The liquid should just cover the meat; add a little more if needed.
5. 5 Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low for 90 minutes, until the beef is fork-tender (internal temperature around 95°C / 200°F and yielding easily when pressed).
6. 6 Add the potatoes and red pepper, cover again and simmer for a further 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.
7. 7 Taste and adjust salt. If you prefer a thicker stew, simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes; for a soupier goulash, leave as is.
8. 8 Scatter with parsley and serve hot with crusty bread or traditional csipetke dumplings.