Best goulash "Lukster" style

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 kg beef goulash, meat from the calf or shoulder, preferably from the organic store or butcher
• 1 kg onion(s)
• 2 carrots
• ½ chorizo
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 700 ml water
• 300 ml beef broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• n. B. Clarified butter
• 3 tbsp paprika powder, hot
• 3 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• n. B. caraway seeds, approx. 2 – 3 tbsp
• n. B. Marjoram, approx. 2 – 3 tbsp
• n. B. salt and pepper, black

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

Dice the onions (if you use small or young onions, they won’t burn as much when chopped). Dice the carrots as well. Cut the chorizo ​​into slices about 3 mm thick. Peel and slice the garlic. Heat a medium-sized pot or roasting pan on the stove at maximum heat and melt 3 tablespoons of clarified butter in it. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the same time, heat a little clarified butter in a small pan and fry the chorizo ​​at maximum heat, but not for too long. The spice from the chorizo ​​will dissolve slightly in the fat, which will then look reddish. Add the carrots to the pot with the onions and sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir here as well. Now you have to cook a little quickly, or turn down the heat. Add about 3 tablespoons of the paprika spice and stir. The powder must not burn. Add the tomato paste while stirring. Simply squeeze the tube firmly, or add 3 tablespoons to the pot and stir until it forms a dough. Stir for about 1 minute. Then pour in the water. Anything that has stuck to the bottom should now dissolve. Now add about 2-3 tablespoons each of marjoram, caraway, salt, and pepper and stir well again. Add the uncooked meat and the cooked chorizo, along with the fat, to the goulash stock and then add the beef broth. There should be enough liquid in the pot to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil once until it begins to swell. Then reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and put the lid on. Simmer the goulash with the lid on for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. After the hour, remove the lid and continue simmering uncovered. At this point, I add the chopped garlic first. Now let it simmer for another hour. After a total of 2 hours, you can inspect your work. I always take a small piece of meat and taste how “done” it is. Shoulder sometimes takes longer, so it can simmer for another half hour. At this point, you can also add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and immediately stir thoroughly to thicken the liquid slightly. But don’t use too much; you don’t want it to become a sauce. If you prefer it a little thicker, you can add a second tablespoon of starch. After simmering for a total of 2-3 hours, the goulash should be done. It’s ready when the meat is tender and “melts in your mouth.” Bread, rice, Bohemian dumplings, or noodles go great with it. Tips: When serving, add freshly diced onions, which you can then “sprinkle” over the top. This gives the goulash a little extra kick and a bit of a bite. If you have any leftovers, the goulash tastes almost better the next day! This is a recipe I adapted from my Czech grandmother, and after a lot of experimenting, I’m finally happy with the result. I’ve noticed that the quality of the meat plays a significant role in the flavor. So, I’d advise against using supermarket meat if you want to make a good goulash.