Beef Goulash With Light Czech Dumplings Recipes

CZECH BEEF GOULASH (GULAS)

Steps:

• Peel the onion and chop it roughly. Cut the beef into 1-1.½-inch pieces.
• Melt the lard or vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a pot with a thick bottom (I use a heavy iron cast Dutch oven). Fry onions until almost brown. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Finally, add the crushed caraway seeds and stir for another minute.
• Add beef chunks, season with salt, and fry them from all sides until a golden brown crust is created. Expect the meat releases some juices when fried. Stir frequently, and scrape off the burnt residue on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula. If necessary, reduce the heat or add a spoon or two of water.
• Turn the stove on medium heat, and add ground pepper, sweet paprika, and tomato paste. Fry for 1 minute while stirring. The base can't get burnt, or else the goulash will taste bitter. Add 1-2 spoons of water to prevent burning.
• Pour in water, so the meat is almost covered. Add bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover with a lid and allow the beef to simmer for 2-2.5 hours or until soft.
• Check the goulash from time to time. Add some water if the level of liquid in the pot falls. When the gulas contains too much water, cook it uncovered at the end. The liquid will be reduced, and the gulas will gain a richer flavor and a nice red color. Stir occasionally.
• When the beef cubes are soft, add flour to thicken the stew. In the next step, I'll provide a helpful method for making the stew sauce smoother and more cohesive.
• Thickening of goulash with flour (optional): Take off the pot's lid. Using a small sieve, carefully dust the surface of the stew with a tablespoon of flour. Do not stir. Cover with the lid and leave to cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove the lid and stir. The sauce will be just thick enough!
• Remove bay leaves, add crushed garlic and dried marjoram, and stir. Season with salt to your liking. Cover with a lid and let it rest off heat for 10 minutes.

BEEF GOULASH WITH LIGHT CZECH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a deep dutch oven, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and sugar until caramelized. Add the garlic and ground toasted caraway seed. Cook another minute.
• Add the sweet and spicy paprika, marjoram, thyme and bay leaf. Sauté another minute, until fragrant.
• Add the tomato paste. Deglaze with the vinegar and the stock and add the pieces of beef, salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
• Cover and cook until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• To prepare the dumplings:.
• Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Combine with the milk and melted butter, mixing lightly.
• After the stew has cooked until tender, the last 15 mins, drop the dumpling batter by (heaping) teaspoonfuls into the simmering stew.
• Cover and cook for 15 minutes, then test the dumpling with a toothpick - if comes out clean, dumplings are ready.
• Once you have covered the pan, DO NOT UNCOVER while the dumplings are cooking! In order for them to be light and fluffy, they must steam. If you uncover the pan, the steam will escape and the dumplings will boil instead.
• Enjoy!

BEEF GOULASH WITH DUMPLINGS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large covered sauté pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and sugar until caramelized. Add the garlic and caraway seed. Cook another minute.
• Add the sweet and spicy paprika, marjoram, thyme and bay leaf. Sauté another minute, until fragrant.
• Add the tomato paste. Deglaze with the vinegar and the stock and add the pieces of beef, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• To prepare the dumplings, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Combine with the milk and melted butter, mixing lightly. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls into the simmering stew. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Once you have covered the pan, do not uncover while the dumplings are cooking! In order for them to be light and fluffy, they must steam. If you uncover the pan, the steam will escape and the dumplings will boil instead. After 15 minutes, test the dumplings with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the dumplings are done.