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A beef stew this rich commands a bold red wine. Typical choices would be a Shiraz or Tempranillo, but I love pairing this with Durif/Petite Sirah. You could also pair it with a Rioja.
This recipe is adapted from traditional Hungarian goulash. It’s rich and immensely satisying, with delicious slow-cooked beef and savoury paprika notes in every bite.
Servings
8 Servings
PREP TIME
45 mins
COOK TIME
45 mins + 6 hours
TOTAL TIME
7.5 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Wine pairing
Shiraz, Tempranillo
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can still make this in a heavy pot or dutch oven:
1. Chop the vegetables. I prefer a rustic feel for this stew, so these are my recommendations:
2. Chop the beef into cubes, about 4cm / 1.5 inches in size.
Tip: You can do this the night before, and store everything in the fridge so it’s ready to cook the next morning.
Note: If your slow cooker has a sear/saute setting, do these steps directly in the slow cooker. Otherwise you’ll need to cook the ingredients on the stove top, and then transfer them to the slow cooker later.
1. Mix together the flour, paprika, oregano, caraway seeds and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture onto the beef and mix until the beef is coated.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the slow cooker or a pot, and sear the beef in batches over medium-high heat (add more oil before each batch as needed). Remove beef to a plate once browned.
4. Deglaze the pot with the balsamic vinegar, and scrape off as many of the burnt bits as you can using a wooden spoon (leave those bits in the pan for extra flavour!).
5. Once all of the beef is browned, turn the heat to medium-low and add the butter followed by the onion, carrot, capsicum and garlic. Cook just until they have softened, then add the mushrooms and cook until they’ve softened as well.
Note: If you cooked your vegetables on the stove top, transfer them to the slow cooker now.
1. Sprinkle half of the remaining flour mixture over the vegetables, stir, then add the remaining half and stir until well combined. Everything will be quite thick and stuck together, but that’s what we want – it will thin out when cooking but it’s also going to ensure we have a thick sauce to accompany our stew.
2. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, beef, potatoes, stock, bay leaves and chilli powder (if using – you can also add this last if you want to taste for heat).
3. Stir it all together and then slow cook on low heat for at least 6-8 hours. When it’s finished cooking, taste to see if you want to add more salt and pepper. You can also add some more chilli powder if you’d like it hotter.
Tip: Plan for the slow cooker to finish 30-45 minutes before you want to serve dinner. The sauce will appear thin; traditional Hungarian goulash does have a thin sauce, but this will thicken on standing (or you can reduce it further by simmering).
Serve over mashed potato, pasta, rice, polenta or spaetzle (egg noodles, pictured below) and with crusty bread to dip into that savoury sauce.
A beef stew this rich commands a bold red wine. Typical choices would be a Shiraz or Tempranillo, but I love pairing this with Durif/Petite Sirah. You could also pair it with a Rioja.