Traditional Croatian Goulash

Ingredients

• 500g Beef
• 2 chopped Onions
• 2 chopped Carrots
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 Bay Leaf
• 200ml Red Wine
• 2 Litres Water
• 3 tbs Mustard
• 1tbsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 2 tbs Vegetable Oil

Quantities are the original recipe’s. The cost is our own estimate — typical own-brand supermarket prices for these quantities, divided by 4 servings. TheMealDB does not state how many a dish serves, so 4 is our assumption, not theirs. Treat it as “about this much a head”, not a shopping bill.

Method

1. Trim any sinew from the beef and cut it into 3cm chunks.
2. Mix the beef with the mustard, salt, pepper and paprika, cover and chill for one hour.
3. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large pot and brown the beef on all sides in batches, then lift it out onto a plate.
4. Add the remaining oil to the pot, then cook the finely chopped onions and grated carrots over a low heat for 15 minutes, salting them lightly to help them break down.
5. Once the vegetables are soft and starting to colour, return the beef to the pot with the bay leaves and garlic.
6. Pour in the red wine and simmer for 10-15 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
7. Add two thirds of the water, cover, and cook over a low heat for an hour, stirring now and then.
8. Stir in the rest of the water and cook for a further 30-45 minutes until the beef is tender.
9. Let the goulash settle for a few minutes off the heat before ladling into bowls, scattering over chopped parsley and fresh chilli slices if you want some heat.
10. Serve with slices of fresh bread and a simple seasoned salad.

These steps were written by StreetOwl from the original recipe, in British English, with every oven temperature and cooking time checked against the source. They are not the original author’s words. If anything reads oddly, the original is linked below and it wins.