Slow-Braised Beef Goulash with Sweet Paprika
Cubed chuck braised low until the sauce is more paprika than tomato, ladled over buttered egg noodles.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 2 hrs 30 min
- Written
Method
-
Pat the beef dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
-
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and brown the beef in batches, about 4 minutes a side, until a dark crust forms; don’t crowd the pot. Set the beef aside.
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Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, then the onions and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden at the edges, about 10 minutes.
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Stir in the garlic, caraway seeds, and tomato paste, and cook until the paste darkens, about 1 minute.
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Pull the pot off the heat and stir in the paprika, coating the vegetables — off the heat so it blooms without scorching and turning bitter.
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Return the beef to the pot along with any juices, then add the diced tomatoes, stock, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
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Cover and braise at a bare simmer, on the stovetop over low heat or in a 325°F oven, until the beef falls apart under a fork, about 2 hours.
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Cook the egg noodles in salted boiling water until just tender, then drain.
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Discard the bay leaves and taste the goulash for salt.
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Ladle the goulash over the noodles and finish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a scatter of parsley.
Notes
The paprika is the recipe, so buy it fresh and buy enough of it — a stale jar makes this taste like nothing. Add it off the heat and let the residual warmth toast it rather than dumping it into a hot pot, where it scorches and turns sharp instead of sweet and round.
This tastes better on the second day, once the paprika has had time to settle into the sauce, so it’s a good one to braise ahead and reheat gently on the stove. If you’d rather skip the noodles, buttered egg dumplings or a pile of mashed potatoes will happily catch the sauce instead.