All Nighters and Austrian Gulasch

As it gets colder outside, we all get the craving for soups, stews, and other comfort food. Lately I've had a hankering for gulasch, a type of German/Austrian beef stew. This recipe falls into the "slow and low" category of cooking, calling for at least 2 and a half hours of simmer time. I knew I was going to be having several late nights this week anyhow, so I had the time to let the pot sit there and do its thing.


The last time I made this dish was two Christmases ago. My family's roots are German, so that year my dad wanted us to have a veritable German feast for Christmas dinner. We made gulasch, spätzle (a type of egg noodle), and Linzertorte (apricot tart). It was quite the meal, and definitely worth all the hard work. 


I have to give credit to Bon Appetit magazine for this recipe. Of course, I made a few changes as I went, so I will include my modified version of the recipe here. Also, you should know that this recipe makes a vast quantity of stew. It's a great recipe to make a few days ahead, as well, as it only gets more flavorful with time. Perfect for wintertime get-togethers: you can make it a few days in advance and feed a lot of people. 


Total Prep Time: about 4 hours (for 2 and 1/2 hours of that, the pot is just simmering)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 pounds white onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp paprika
1 cup white wine vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 2/3 cups water (room temp)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 pounds beef stew meat


Directions:
1. Heat your oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook down until golden and soft, about 30 minutes. Salt and pepper as you go. 
2. Stir in garlic and marjoram. 

3. Wait about 3 minutes, then add the tomato paste, stirring often until the mixture becomes dark red.

4. Add the paprika, then take the pot off heat for a minute or two to allow the flavors to blend.
5. Add the vinegar, and heat the pot on medium heat for a few minutes.

6. Add the broth, the bouillon cubes, the water, the bay leaves, and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

7. Salt and pepper the stew meat and add it to the pot. Simmer everything on medium-low heat for 2 1/2 hours. This is what makes the meat so tender and flavorful.
8. Take all the pieces of meat out of the pot and put them in a bowl off to the side. Try to leave all the onions in the pot. If some pieces of beef get left in there or if some onions get out, that's fine. 

9. Boil the broth for 15-20 minutes to reduce it down.
10. Let the broth cool slightly, then, using an immersion blender, puree it until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree it in batches in a regular blender or food processor.

11. Season with salt and pepper, then add beef back in. 
12. Heat for about 5 minutes, then serve. Or better yet, pop the pot in the fridge for a day or two before serving. 

Gulasch is best served over mashed potatoes or noodles. If you leave the broth a little thinner (don't reduce it down as much in Step 9), you can eat it like a soup as well. 


This recipe may seem like a big undertaking, but it is definitely worth it.