A big family Sunday lunch classic and a nod to the Hungarian bit of my heritage. Goulash can take all sorts of forms, but this one is made with beef, no peppers, no sour cream, but with a solid hit of paprika. 100% simple, delicious and cosy.
- 600g beef shin, cut into chunks
- 600g of onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp veg oil
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- Large pinch hot smoked paprika
- 600ml beef stock
- Mix the flour, 1 tsp paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Dredge the beef in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess
- Heat oil and butter in a lidded casserole dish over a medium-high heat
- Fry the beef in batches, browning well on all sides
- Remove the beef, turn the heat right down and add a little more oil if needed
- Fry the onions gently until translucent
- Add the other 2 tsp paprika, the tomato puree, 2 tspnof the leftover flour in the bowl, and the hot paprika
- Stir in and cook for a minute
- Then pour over the beef stock, bring to the boil and pop the browned beef back in, along with any juice that has accumulated on the plate
- Cover and cook for 2 hours – either on the hob on a low-low temperature or in the oven at 160C fan
- The beef should almost be falling apart with succulent deliciousness. Check the seasoning, add a bit more salt, pepper or paprika as needed
- If you want to thicken the gravy a bit, put the pot on the hob and bring to a simmer. Either mix together equal parts of flour and butter to make a paste (beurre manié, ooh fancy!) Drop bits of the paste into the stew and stir in to achieve your desired thickness. Alternatively, mix a couple of heaped tsp of cornflour with a bit of water and pour in, stirring all the time
- Serve with egg noodles, dumplings or spaetzle. Or mashed potato or bread or rice. Any carb really. But whatever you choose, I highly recommend a cucumber salad on the side
Sophie cooks 