Ingredients

Method

• 3 T olive oil
• 1.5 kg boneless cubed beef
• 2 large onions
• 2–3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red bird’s eye chilli, seeded and chopped
• 1 T sweet or plain paprika
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 red peppers, cored and sliced
• 1 x 400 g chopped and peeled tomatoes can
• 1 l beef stock
• 125 g bacon, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Seed-and-raisin bread, for serving

Method

Ingredients

1. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the bacon until almost crispy. Add the cubed beef and sauté until brown, then remove from the pan. Add the remaining oil, and sauté the onion, garlic and chilli for 4 minutes.

2. Add both paprikas and the tomato paste and stir. Add the peppers and the browned meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and lightly season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 1½ hours, or until tender. Serve the goulash with seed-and-raisin bread.

Cook’s notes: It’s important to add the paprika and tomato paste at the same time as the paprika can burn very quickly, resulting in a bitter flavour. The tomato paste helps prevent it from burning. I use a combination of paprikas. Most smoked paprikas have an intense flavour and should only be used in small quantities, whereas plain or sweet paprika can be used more liberally. I prefer using beef short rib cubes with most of the fat trimmed off and the bones removed. It’s easy to cut into neat cubes and is full of flavour.