Keep your bellies warm with our comforting Hungarian Goulash!
This hearty dish is made with large chunks of steak, carrots, and potatoes, simmered in beef stock and canned tomatoes. Hungarian paprika and ground caraway seeds are added to give this famous dish its iconic flavour.
We made this dish over the stovetop using the Le Creuset Cast Iron Marmite. We loved this cast iron pot and found it much better than the standard saucepan we normally use.
The Le Creuset Cast Iron Marmite is excellent at retaining and evenly distributing heat. We found this decreased the cooking time, and even after turning off the stovetop, your dish will stay piping hot for some time, making it perfect if you’re running a bit late for dinner, or for going back for seconds.
It is also very versatile. We found it to be excellent in achieving a good sear when browning the meat and for simmering the liquid – there’s definitely no need to use a separate frying pan and saucepan. You can also use the pot in the oven, making it perfect for those dishes that need to be transported from the stovetop to the oven.
Lastly the cast iron pot is just beautiful to look at. We keep ours displayed on our stovetop. Not only is this convenient because we love using it regularly, it’s also a signature piece of cookware you would want to show off.
One word of caution, the handles do get hot. Very hot. So make sure you use oven mitts or a tea towel when handling.
What Type of Beef To Use
We use chuck steak for this recipe as it’s relatively cheap. Even though it’s a tougher cut, this method of cooking breaks it down beautifully. You can also use beef short rib, beef shank, or any other casserole meat.
Cutting the Beef
Keep the beef in large chunks as this will prevent them from breaking up too much. They will shrink slightly as they cook. We used the 24cm cast iron pot for this recipe, there is a point earlier on in the cooking process where you will think there’s no way the pot is large enough to hold everything, but as the meat shrinks it will all fit.
Don’t Peel The Potatoes
There’s no need to peel the potatoes. Keeping the skin on will prevent the potatoes from breaking apart when cooking, add some texture, and also cut back on unnecessary kitchen waste.
How to serve the Hungarian Goulash
One of my happiest moments during Canberra’s lockdown was curled up on the couch digging into a big bowl of Hungarian Goulash with crusty bread, sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. This is by far my favourite way to eat this dish. This dish is also fantastic to have with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.
Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Serves 4 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- Neutral oil (e.g. canola oil) for frying
- 1 kg chuck steak, cut into large pieces
- 1 knob unsalted butter
- 2 onions, cut in half and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Hungarian paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp ground caraway seeds
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 400 gm canned tomatoes
- 500 ml beef stock
- 2 large carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
- 4 potatoes cut into large chunks
Thickener (optional)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
To Serve
- Crusty bread
- Sour cream
- Fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in the cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Sear the meat in batches and leave aside until needed.
2. Once the meat is done, turn the heat down to medium and add the butter and onions. Cook for 3- 4 minutes or until the onions have softened.
3. Add the seared beef, garlic, paprika, bay leaves, ground caraway seeds, sugar, salt and pepper to the pot.
4. Add the canned tomatoes and beef stock to the pan and deglaze.
5. Bring to the boil then turn down to medium-low and cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes with the lid on.
6. Add the carrots and potatoes, then cook for a further 20 minutes.
7. Check the potatoes for doneness. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
8. Optional: if you prefer a thicker sauce, then make the thickener by mixing together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add to the pot, return to boil and stir until thickened.
9. Serve with steamed rice, a dollop of sour cream and fresh parsley as garnish.
Next Read: Le Creuset vs Staub Casserole: Winter Warmers
