Russian beef goulash Petersburg style

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 600 g beef shoulder
• 4 onions
• 5 tbsp lard
• ½ liter meat broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tomatoes
• ½ tsp thyme, dried
• ½ lemon(s)
• salt and pepper
• Sugar
• 100 g sour cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 50 minutes

Podzharka po Peterburgskomu, with onions and tomatoes

Cut the beef shoulder into cubes about 1 cm long. Brown them vigorously on all sides in half of the lard, add half of the stock, and simmer over low heat for about an hour, until the meat is tender. In the meantime, peel the tomatoes and simmer them with the thyme until a tomato puree is obtained. If you’re feeling lazy, you can use 100 grams of tomato paste instead. Peel and grate the onions, then fry them in the remaining lard until light brown. Add the remaining stock and the bay leaf, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until soft. When the meat is tender, add the tomato sauce and onions, and mix. Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar, and lemon juice. If you like it a bit spicier, you can also add chili. Serve hot with potatoes and a dollop of sour cream on top of the podzharka.