Beef Goulash

Yesterday was my dad’s birthday and I asked him if I could make dinner for him to celebrate. My dad grew up in the Midwest so he’s a meat and potatoes type of guy. But after living all over the US and in Europe and the Middle East he’s also open to more adventurous meals. He’ the one who introduced me to tapas and paella! He’s a good man.

Now goulash may not sound at all adventurous, at least not in the state of South Dakota, but that is because so many people see goulash as something you just throw together. Midwestern goulash is as close to Hungarian goulash as that jar of Prego is to Italian red sauce.  Good goulash takes time and quality ingredients. The recipe I used is from Cooking Light so it has less fat but the flavor is still there. You cannot rush this, give this recipe the full time it needs to cook and you will not be disappointed.

Because it was the 2^nd of March I didn’t want to purchase tomatoes at the store. It’s not the right time of year for fresh tomatoes and I’m not a huge fan of hydroponic tomatoes. I used my homegrown tomatoes that my dad and I had canned during the summer. They were already cooked during the canning process, but since they were going to be simmered for so long it doesn’t make a big difference.

I used smoked paprika because that is what I have. The flavor was very deep but not too intensely smoky. I would be interested in trying the recipe with a hot paprika just to taste the difference. I had one pound of fingerling potatoes remaining so I went ahead and used those instead of the Yukon Gold. I think the fingerlings worked well in this recipe because they are waxy, russet potatoes wouldn’t have held their shape as nicely after being cooked for so long.

1 ½ pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)

1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon butter

4 cups chopped onion (about 2 large)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 3)

½ teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed

2 bay leaves

½ cup water

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

2 ½ cups cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato (about 1 pound)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Dredge beef in flour; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan.

Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in paprika and vinegar; cook for 2 minutes. Return beef to pan. Add the tomato, caraway seeds, and bay leaves; cook 3 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 cup water, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 45 minutes. Add potato; cover and cook 1 hour and 15 minutes or until very tender. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and juice. Discard bay leaves. Serve over egg noodles.

Cooking Light – January 2007