Of Hungarian origin, the goulash It was a typical rural food, a stew that was prepared with firewood using very basic ingredients and long cooking times. Today it can be enjoyed in the best restaurants in the world, in particular versions that reflect the influence of local cuisine and that give the dish that sophistication typical of modern cuisine.
The recipe harmoniously combines the flavors of good beef, red wine, onion, aromatic herbs, fine spices and a lot of heart. The secret of a good goulash is in the cooking time, which must be prolonged, allowing all those flavors to melt into a dark and thick sauce, characteristic of this dish. Iron casseroles are always recommended for these time-consuming recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1 Kg of chopped beef.
- 2 chopped onions.
- 3 large cloves of garlic.
- 3 big tomatoes.
- 2 cups of beef broth.
- 1 heaping tablespoon of sweet paprika.
- 1/4 teaspoon of hot paprika (optional).
- 2 bay leaves.
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme.
- 2 cups of red wine.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Milk cream (optional).
- Chopped parsley, to taste
- Potato flour or starch to thicken.
Preparation of the veal goulash:
We remove the skin from the onion and garlic cloves and we chop them finely, both vegetables separately. Peel the tomatoes and chop them also small.
We heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat and add the onions. Sauté until the onions are somewhat soft, to incorporate the garlic. We continue cooking over high heat until the onion is translucent.
We incorporate the meat into the casserole, already seasonedalong with the tomatoes. Mix and continue cooking until the ingredients are well integrated.
Add the wine and cook over high heat for about three minutes, so that the alcohol evaporates mix.
Add the paprika, thyme, bay leaf and the meat broth. Let the mixture boil, cover and continue cooking, over medium-low heat, for two hours or until meat is tender to the touch.
If the final sauce is too runny, you can use potato starch to thicken it. When it comes to serving, we can do it with heavy cream and chopped parsley or some other aromatic herb to garnish.