Recipe Background
Homestyle German Goulash comforts with its rich, aromatic blend of beef and spices.
Homestyle German Goulash carries the comfort of a kitchen filled with the sweet, earthy aroma of onions mingling with paprika. This hearty dish invites you to slow down as it simmers, giving the robust flavors of beef, red wine, and earthy marjoram time to meld. As the goulash cooks, the spicy hint of caraway teases your senses, promising warmth in every spoonful.
The texture captures your attention next. Tender beef, soft and yielding, swims in a richly thickened sauce—a testament to patient cooking. Adding the tomato paste early helps to deepen the flavors and thickens the sauce, imbuing each bite with a velvety smoothness. This dish easily finds a home next to joyous gatherings or quiet evenings, with each warm serving over gnocchi bringing comfort and closeness to the table.
It’s more than just food; it’s a shared experience. The slow simmer fills your home with inviting scents, gently nudging family or guests toward the table. Garnished with bright parsley, it’s a dish that delights the eyes before it soothes the soul. Perfect for an easy-going meal that enriches every gathering, reminding us all of the quiet joy found in home-cooked pleasures.
Ingredients
- 1 (2.2-pound) beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons clarified butter
- 4 large onions chopped into small pieces
- 2 medium carrots chopped into small pieces
- 1 piece celeriac or 2 celery stalks chopped into small pieces
- fine sea or kosher salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 3 cups dry red wine
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- black pepper to taste
- gnocchi optional, to taste, cooked and warm, for serving
- fresh parsley leaves to taste, for garnish
Directions
- Place the beef cubes in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the clarified butter.
- Add the onions, the carrots, the celeriac, and the salt to the butter and cook, stirring often, until deeply golden-brown, about 10-15 minutes. Be careful to not let the vegetables stick and reduce the heat if needed.
- Add the tomato paste to the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring continuously, until the veggies brown slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sweet paprika and the hot paprika to the vegetable mixture and stir well to combine.
- Add the wine, the beef stock, the bay leaves, the marjoram, the caraway seeds, and the black pepper to the vegetable mixture and stir well to combine.
- Add the beef cubes to the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beef reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees F and the sauce is thick and glossy, about 2 hours.
- Season the goulash with more of the salt and the black pepper, as needed.
- Serve the goulash over the warm gnocchi, garnished with the parsley.
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