recipe - goulash
2.5 lbs beef chuck roast
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp all-purpose flour *
2 large sweet yellow onions
3 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
4 cloves garlic
1.5 Tbsp paprika **
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground chipotle ***
1 small can tomato paste
28-oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Cut chuck roast into 1" cubes, trimming off excess fat. This is a perfect recipe for a tough cut like the chuck; the long cooking softens up the gelatin in the connective tissue.
In a large (6qt+) dutch oven, heat up the olive oil and brown the meat in batches, sprinkling each one with salt, pepper, and some of the flour. I used about half the flour per batch, with the third batch not getting any at all. If you don't have a dutch oven, brown the meat in a big, heavy frying pan and transfer the meat to a large pot (like a pasta pot); when it's done, deglaze with some of the chicken stock and add that to the pasta pot, too.
While the meat is browning, small dice the carrots, celery, and onion, and mince the garlic fine. After the meat is done, add the vegetables to the dutch oven and saute until the onions are soft and light brown. Add the herbs and spices and stir well.
Add the tomato paste and stir to blend with the vegetables. The mixture should smell sweet and be a dark red, almost mahogany color.
Add back in the browned stew beef and the can of tomatoes and stir well. Add the chicken stock, until the stock just covers the solids by about 1/2". Add in the bay leaves.
Cover part-way and simmer on low for several hours. About ten minutes before serving, add the balsamic vinegar.
Serve with gnocchi, potato dumplings, regular flour dumplings, biscuits, noodles... what-have-you. Alternately, just eat it plain. It's good regardless.
Note to self: make potato dumplings approx teaspoon sized, maybe even smaller.
* I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose flour; it thickens almost like regular flour.
** I used sweet paprika, since I had neither smoked nor spicy in the house.
*** I used the ground chipotle for the smoky and hot taste (see **).
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp all-purpose flour *
2 large sweet yellow onions
3 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
4 cloves garlic
1.5 Tbsp paprika **
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground chipotle ***
1 small can tomato paste
28-oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Cut chuck roast into 1" cubes, trimming off excess fat. This is a perfect recipe for a tough cut like the chuck; the long cooking softens up the gelatin in the connective tissue.
In a large (6qt+) dutch oven, heat up the olive oil and brown the meat in batches, sprinkling each one with salt, pepper, and some of the flour. I used about half the flour per batch, with the third batch not getting any at all. If you don't have a dutch oven, brown the meat in a big, heavy frying pan and transfer the meat to a large pot (like a pasta pot); when it's done, deglaze with some of the chicken stock and add that to the pasta pot, too.
While the meat is browning, small dice the carrots, celery, and onion, and mince the garlic fine. After the meat is done, add the vegetables to the dutch oven and saute until the onions are soft and light brown. Add the herbs and spices and stir well.
Add the tomato paste and stir to blend with the vegetables. The mixture should smell sweet and be a dark red, almost mahogany color.
Add back in the browned stew beef and the can of tomatoes and stir well. Add the chicken stock, until the stock just covers the solids by about 1/2". Add in the bay leaves.
Cover part-way and simmer on low for several hours. About ten minutes before serving, add the balsamic vinegar.
Serve with gnocchi, potato dumplings, regular flour dumplings, biscuits, noodles... what-have-you. Alternately, just eat it plain. It's good regardless.
Note to self: make potato dumplings approx teaspoon sized, maybe even smaller.
* I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose flour; it thickens almost like regular flour.
** I used sweet paprika, since I had neither smoked nor spicy in the house.
*** I used the ground chipotle for the smoky and hot taste (see **).