Cold Weather Comfort Food Hungarian Goulash

COLD WEATHER COMFORT FOOD: HUNGARIAN GOULASH

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. Gather your ingredients.
• 3. Add the flour to a small bowl, and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
• 4. Take 1/3 of the beef, spread it out, and dust with the flour.
• 5. Chef's Tip: I dust by putting the flour into a fine-mesh strainer.
• 6. Chef's Note: In Hungary you will typically be served this as a soup, in a bowl, with a spoon. I wanted mine to have a bit more texture, so I added the flour. It's still a soup, but just with a bit more body.
• 7. Add 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil to a large cast iron pot, or Dutch oven, and set the heat to medium high.
• 8. Add 1/3 of the flour-dusted beef to the pot
• 9. Brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. It does not have to be cooked through... just slightly browned.
• 10. Remove from the pot and reserve.
• 11. Chef's Note: Repeat for batches 2 and 3 of the beef (dust, oil, sauté).
• 12. Remove and reserve with the other beef.
• 13. Add the final 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil to the pot, and lower the heat to medium.
• 14. Add the onions.
• 15. Cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
• 16. Chef's Note: As the onions begin to release their moisture, use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those tasty fonds that developed on the bottom of the pan while cooking the beef.
• 17. Add the garlic and caraway seeds, and stir until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
• 18. Add the paprika to the onions.
• 19. Stir, for an additional minute, and no more.
• 20. Chef's Tip: Never allow the paprika to scorch or burn... It will taste bitter if you do.
• 21. Chef's Note: To make this work, you need to get Hungarian Sweet Paprika... DO NOT use smoked paprika... it's too strong and will throw the dish way off.
• 22. Add the apple cider vinegar, and the tomato sauce to the pot.
• 23. Stir for an additional 2 minutes.
• 24. Add the meat, and any juices back into the pot.
• 25. Stir to combine.
• 26. Add the cayenne pepper, and cumin, and then stir to combine.
• 27. Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 250f (120c).
• 28. Add the beef stock, and bring up to a simmer. Allow the liquid to simmer for 5 minutes.
• 29. While the liquid is simmering, season and taste with some salt, and pepper.
• 30. Chef's Note: If you want it a bit hotter, add more cayenne.
• 31. Place the covered pot in the oven, for 90 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
• 32. Add the carrots, and potatoes, and then place back into the oven for an additional hour.
• 33. PLATE/PRESENT
• 34. Serve it in a nice bowl with some good crusty bread. Enjoy.
• 35. Chef's Note: Traditional Hungarian Goulash is not served with egg noodles, or sour cream... That's the Americanized version.
• 36. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.