Authentic Beef Goulash
Melt-in-your-mouth beef in a dark onion sauce, patiently braised until it falls apart on your tongue.
- Preparation
- 25 min
- Cook/bake time
- 2 hr 20 min
- Total
- 2 hr 45 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
A proper goulash needs no secret, just time. Equal parts onions and meat, slowly browned, then braised together for at least two hours. This creates a deep, thick sauce without any flour. The collagen in the beef shank melts and thickens the sauce naturally. Serve with boiled potatoes, noodles, or fresh bread.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Sear the meat
Pat the beef cubes dry, salt them, and sear them in batches in clarified butter until browned on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan, otherwise the meat will boil in its own juices instead of browning. Remove the finished pieces and set them aside.
- 2
Brown the onions
Braise the onions in the same pot over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. This is the most important step for flavor, so take your time here. Add the garlic and tomato paste and roast them briefly.
- 3
Season and deglaze
Remove the pot from the heat briefly and stir in the paprika powder, because it will burn and turn bitter over high heat. Deglaze with the red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, as this is pure flavor.
- 4
Braise
Return the meat to the pot and barely cover it with broth. Add the bay leaves and caraway seeds, bring everything to a boil, and then let it simmer gently covered over the lowest heat for 2 to 2.5 hours until the meat almost falls apart on its own.
- 5
Season to taste
Remove the lid and let the sauce reduce uncovered for another 15 minutes if necessary. Finally, season to taste with red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper, because exactly this dash of acidity rounds out the goulash.
