Hungarian Goulash

Good old Goulash.. it was popular in the 80's but fell out of fashion. I recently discovered a recipe in my Nanny's cook book for it.. and seriously... could ANYTHING be easier???

Ingredients:
1.5-2kgs stewing steak, (such as chuck or oyster, best is the stringy meat from the muscular back part of the shank of the beef leg, or cut up a chuck roast.), diced
olive oil for frying
3 onions, chopped large
3 red capsicums, chopped medium-fine
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp paprika

(the addition of caraway seeds and marjoram apparently turns it into Austrian Goulash. You can also add kidney/garbanzo beans for a veggie version.)


Method:
Fry the meat in olive oil in a large saucepan, draining the cooking juices every now and then and reserving them in a bowl. When the meat is cooked through, add the onions and capsicum and fry till the vegetables are soft. Return the cooking juice to the pot, mixed with the tomato paste and paprika. Cook for another hour or until the meat is tender.

Serve with boiled new potatoes or rice (Nanny used to mound the rice in a ring and serve the goulash in the middle.. so very 70's!!!)

Goulash, properly prepared and stored in the refrigerator, keeps well. The flavors blend with cold storage. It is a perfect recipe to cook for guests a day or two before you entertain.