I was born and raised in Germany but live in Silicon Valley, California for over 20 years now. With that, I treasure German traditions very much, e.g. my mom's authentic recipes or any German holiday traditions. I enjoy cooking her dishes as it reminds me of home. I also love serving them to family and friends. It makes me happy and luckily my husband and kids love German food as much as I do. Must be the German gene in all of us. :-)
My mom's Goulash is an excellent winter dish because the awesome flavor continues to develop as it sits. While there is some simmer time involved, it’s worth every single minute and I love that I can get other things done while it’s on the stove. I promise, the house will smell so good!
Depending on your appetite this recipe can serve 6-8 people. It's also excellent to freeze a portion for another night.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. sunflower oil or any other cooking oil
3 lbs. London Broil or Beef Chuck, cut in 1" cubes (If you don’t have either on hand, then any well-exercised muscle or lean cut of meat will work, like shoulder or round.)
3-4 shallots, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
4 cups organic beef broth
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine
3 tsp tomato paste
water or more beef broth as needed
Directions:
In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers add 1/2 of the beef cubes and brown well on all sides about 15-20 minutes. This part is key to a tasty German Goulash. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining beef. Alternatively, I like to use two pots at the same time to speed up the process. Watch your meat while browning and stir regularly so brown bits on the bottom of the pan do not burn. Add more oil as necessary. Remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons oil from pot.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions to the pot. Sauté until they begin to soften and are golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Add meat back to the pot or combine meats in one pot with onions depending if you use one or two pots to brown.
Slowly add beef broth, continue to simmer. After 15 minutes add more beef broth, always continue to simmer...
Add mustard, red wine, and tomato paste.
Let simmer for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours.
If broth becomes too thick add more beef broth or water to thin. It should be like gravy. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve with potatoes, egg noodles, or spaetzle. We also add either Rotkohl (red cabbage) or applesauce.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. As always, Guten Appetit!