Evie Harbury’s beef goulash recipe

“This is about as fiercely savoury as a dish can be: a thick, velvety sauce with tender chunks of beef,” says Evie Harbury. “The rule I play by when making my beef goulash, as learned from my Austrian butcher friends, whom I trust wholeheartedly on this particular specialist subject, is to use a two-to-one ratio of meat to onion.

“So, if you are cooking for more people and need to increase the amount of meat, just make sure you stick to that ratio. The caramelised onions at the base of the sauce are the real hero in this recipe: so golden and beautiful, with an aroma like a culinary perfume.

“It’s a bit of a gimmick, but often goulash (particularly goulash soup) will be served in a whole bread loaf, which can be fun but a little overwhelming.”

Beef Goulash (Hovězí guláš)

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

4tbsps lard (or 2tbsps unsalted butter and 2tbsps vegetable oil)
500g onions, finely chopped (prepped weight)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2tbsps sweet paprika
1tbsp hot paprika
2tbsps tomato paste (concentrated purée)
1½tbsps plain flour
1tbsp vinegar (I use white wine vinegar)
1kg braising beef (such as chuck or shank)
3 scant tsps fine salt
1½tbsps dried marjoram
1tbsp caraway seeds, ground
(it’s best to buy seeds and then grind them yourself)
1tbsp caster (superfine) sugar (optional)

To serve:
Chopped pickled gherkins
Thinly sliced red onion (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Bread dumplings or crusty bread

Method:

1. Heat the lard (or butter and oil) in a large casserole dish or saucepan over a medium–low heat. Add the onions and sweat down for 40 minutes to one hour, stirring regularly, until they are a beautiful caramel colour. The heat should be just high enough for you to hear a constant, very subtle sizzle.

2. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes, then add the paprikas, tomato paste and flour, and cook for 20 seconds more, stirring constantly.

3. Add 350 millilitres water, along with the vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly to avoid lumps, then remove from the heat and blend with a hand blender until completely smooth (or pour into a high-speed blender to blitz, then return to the pan).

4. Pat the beef dry, then cut into five centimetre cubes and season with the salt. Return the pan containing the onion mixture to a medium heat. Add the beef, marjoram and caraway, along with another 350 millilitres water. Partly cover with a lid, leaving some space for steam to escape. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and simmer for two to two-and-a-half hours until the beef is tender.

5. Give the sauce a taste and add sugar, if you think it could be a touch sweeter. Sometimes the onions and tomato paste are sweet enough on their own, but this varies with each ingredient.

6. Enjoy the goulash hot, topped with chopped pickled gherkins, sliced red onion and sour cream, if you like. Eat with some bread dumplings or crusty bread rolls for a more casual approach.

My Bohemian Kitchen by Evie Harbury is published by Murdoch Books, priced £20. Available now