So Zara has been asking for goulash since ages and Id been pushing it ahead since I felt it would be too much of a hassle. It wasn’t. Here’s how:
- Chuck meat – or an uncut piece of lamb or beef shoulder- around 2 kg (I had it cut, you can also leave it whole)
- 1/4 neutral oil
- 3 finely sliced onions
- Fresh garlic, a tablespoon
- 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups broth or alternatively 1 cup water and one dark grape juice
- 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- Fresh thyme
- 3-4 carrots, cut in chunks
For the side, either roast or mashed potatoes
- So in a large enough pan, heat the oil and add the meat, frying it from all sides slowly so the fat leaves off a bit
- Remove and put aside
- Add the onions and saute to a light colour, add the celery and cook a few mins
- Add the garlic, sauté , and add flour
- Let it slightly change colour
- Put meat back in a sauté it a bit
- Add the spices, the tomatoes, broth, juice
- Mix well and let it cook up a bit
- Let it simmer a few seconds, then cover well with foil and place it in the oven at 150c – & read a good book for 2 hours
- Check carefully, the meat must be very tender
- If not, cover and return for another half hour
- If it is, taste for spices and adjust a bit
- Add the carrots
- Remove foil and put it back in the oven for another 1 hour
- At the end the gravy will be thick and brown and the carrots will be cooked but not mushy
- Serve with potatoes and bread – bread is optional but is great to mop the sauce. I served it with roasted potatoes and home made soft sesame bread roll.
ZAMAA 