Slow-braised beef goulash with sweet paprika and caraway

Serves - 4 to 6

You’ll need

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1kg braising beef, such as chuck or shin, cut into large chunks
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 red pepper, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, cut into thick slices
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400ml beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Brown the beef properly

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the beef well with salt and black pepper, then brown it in batches until it has taken on some proper colour. Do not crowd the pan or it will steam and sulk rather than do anything useful. Once browned, lift it out onto a plate and set aside.

2. Start the base

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, just until fragrant and heading in the right direction.

3. Add the paprika and caraway

Take the pan off the heat for a moment, then stir in the sweet paprika, caraway seeds and tomato purée. This is worth doing carefully, as paprika wants warming through rather than catching and turning bitter. Once it smells rich and properly savoury, add the red pepper and carrots and give everything a good stir.

4. Build the goulash

Return the beef to the pan, along with any resting juices, then add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock and bay leaf. Bring everything up to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and transfer to a 160°C fan oven. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the beef is deeply tender and the sauce has thickened nicely. It should feel rich and spoonable, not thin and apologetic.

5. Finish properly

Take the pan out of the oven and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the red wine vinegar and have a taste. Add a little more salt or black pepper if it needs it. The vinegar should not make itself obvious, just lift and sharpen everything a touch.

6. Serve

Spoon the goulash into warm bowls and scatter over the parsley. Very good with buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, rice or simply some good bread if that is the direction things are heading.

A couple of helpful notes
- Sweet paprika is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, so it is worth using a good one.
- If the sauce looks a little thin at the end, simmer it uncovered on the hob for 10 minutes rather than serving it before it is ready.
- Like many slow braises, this is often even better the next day, which is useful if you are planning ahead rather than simply getting lucky with leftovers.