Sivi's Hungarian Cauldron Goulash

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 1,200 g beef (shoulder or rump)
• 600 g onion(s)
• 100 g clarified butter
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 4 cloves garlic
• 200 g Paprika powder, Hungarian sweet
• Salt
• 2 large carrots
• ½ celeriac
• 2 bell peppers
• 4 m.-sized tomatoes
• 800 g potato(s), waxy

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

rustically prepared over the fire!

Cut the meat into roughly 2 cm cubes and roughly dice the onion. Heat the clarified butter in a cauldron over the heat, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, but do not allow them to brown. Add the meat and caraway seeds and stir briefly to sear the meat lightly all over. Do not overcook! Cover the meat with all the paprika and season with salt. Be careful not to use too much salt; add more seasoning later. Add just enough water to cover the meat and simmer gently over the heat for about an hour. Be careful not to heat it too vigorously, or the goulash will stick to the bottom of the cauldron. However, you should also make sure the fire doesn’t go out… you’ll get the hang of it over time. In the meantime, cut the vegetables: cut the potatoes, carrots, and celery into large cubes, the peppers into large pieces, and the tomatoes into eighths. After the hour of braising, add the carrots, celery, and potatoes to the meat, stir, and add enough water to just cover. After another half hour, add the bell peppers and tomatoes. The total braising time is about 2.5 hours, but it doesn’t hurt if the goulash simmers quietly for another half hour. Done! Add more liquid if desired and season with salt. With a little more liquid, it will be more of a soup; with less, it will be a wonderfully creamy goulash. Don’t add any thickening agents; the paprika powder will provide plenty of binding! If necessary, you can use a little tomato paste, but not too much; it shouldn’t be too acidic. Serve with white bread, and if you want to go all out with a more traditional dish, you can serve it with fermented vegetables. This goulash is always a hit with us!