Emperors Goulash Recipes

EMPEROR'S GOULASH

Steps:

• Sauce, part 1: Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion. Add vegetable oil and onion to the pot; cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized, 10-15 minutes. (Add more oil as necessary to keep the onions glossy.)
• Candied Lemon Zest (optional): While the onions are cooking, prepare the lemon garnish. Set a small saucepan of water over high heat to boil. Use a peeler to remove the yellow zest from half the lemon, avoiding the white pith; finely slice the zest. Add the zest to the boiling water and blanch for about 10 seconds. Drain and reserve the zest. In another small skillet, bring the tablespoons of water and sugar to a boil to dissolve sugar. Add the blanched zest, then turn off heat and set aside. (Store Candied Lemon Zest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several months.)
• Sauce, part 2: When the onions are soft and golden brown, lightly smash the garlic cloves with the flat of a knife; remove the skins, and add the garlic to the pot and stir. After 1-2 minutes, remove pot from heat; add the paprika and stir well to combine. Add tomato paste and put the pot back on the heat; stir again to combine and caramelize the tomato paste, 30-45 seconds. Add red wine vinegar and stir, scraping to deglaze the pot. Finally, add all but ½ cup beef stock (reserving the rest for later); caraway seeds; and marjoram. Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Beef: Meanwhile, season the beef with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides. When the sauce is just beginning to boil, add the meat; there should be just enough liquid to cover the meat. Cover the pot and cook over low heat at a very gentle simmer, 1½-2 hours, checking after 1½ hours.Sauce, part 3: After 1½ hours, check the meat; it should be very tender. (If not, continue cooking, 30 more minutes.) Use a spider or slotted spoon to move the meat to a separate bowl; set aside. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning; turn off the heat.
• Pour sauce into blender. Use a Microplane to add zest from remaining half of lemon; then add crème fraîche and capers. Use a spoon to peel the ginger; then slice thinly and add to blender. Blend on high speed until sauce is smooth, about 30 seconds; taste for flavor and adjust seasoning. Optional: Add fresh lemon juice for more acidity. Strain contents through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois into a bowl, pressing with a ladle to extract all the liquid.
• Thicken sauce (optional): If desired, thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. Transfer sauce back to the pot and bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch with water until thoroughly combined. When sauce is boiling, add cornstarch slurry a little at a time, whisking and testing the consistency between additions. (Note: You may have a lot of slurry left over, depending on how thick you want the sauce to be.) When the sauce is thickened, turn heat to low and return meat to the sauce to warm through. Taste one last time for seasoning.
• Assembly: Transfer meat to serving bowl, then generously top with sauce. Garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche, a few strands of Candied Lemon Zest, and parsley leaves before serving.

CLASSIC GOULASH

Steps:

• Cook and stir the ground beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown, about 10 minutes. Skim off excess fat, and stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir the meat mixture until the onions are translucent, about 10 more minutes.
• Stir water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and seasoned salt into the meat mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir macaroni into the mixture, cover, and simmer over low heat until the pasta is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and serve.

CHEF JOHN'S AMERICAN GOULASH

Steps:

• Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and ground beef. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir until liquid is evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves.
• Cook and stir until flavors come together, about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and marinara sauce. Rinse out the jar with 1 cup water and pour into the pot. Add soy sauce, stir, and bring soup to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer to let flavors intensify, about 30 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a simmer. Add macaroni; simmer, stirring occasionally, until just barely tender, about 12 minutes. Check for doneness after 10 minutes.
• Remove goulash from heat. Discard bay leaves; stir in parsley and Cheddar cheese. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Taste and season as desired.

BEEF GOULASH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish or heavy-based saucepan. Sprinkle 700g stewing steak chunks with 30g plain flour and brown well in three batches, adding an extra 1 tbsp oil for each batch. Set the browned meat aside.
• Add in the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the casserole dish, followed by 1 large thinly sliced onion, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, both finely sliced. Fry until softened, around 5-10 mins.
• Return the beef to the pan with 2 tbsp tomato purée and 2 tbsp paprika. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins.
• Add in 2 large diced tomatoes, 75ml dry white wine and 300ml beef stock. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hr 30 mins - 2 hrs. Alternatively, cover and cook it on the hob on a gentle heat for about an hour, removing the lid after 45 mins.
• Sprinkle over 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in 150ml soured cream and serve.