Ingredients

• 2 -4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 lbs lean beef, cubed (shoulder or shank)
• 2 lbs onions or 2 lbs shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 -3 tablespoons paprika (Hungarian)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon hot paprika (optional)
• 1/4 lemon, zest of
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed (ground or whole)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the beef cubes.

2. Add the onions and cook them with the meat until they are transparent or have a shiny appearance, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomato paste, paprika and the rest of the seasonings and stir well.

4. Add the stock and stir well again.

5. Add a little salt and pepper – it is best to use less salt during the cooking process and correct the seasoning when the meat is cooked to avoid over-seasoning.

6. Bring the whole pot to a boil then turn to low or medium-low and let the goulash cook slowly until the meat is tender, 2-4 hours, depending on cut of meat used. The onions are the thickening agent, so if the liquid evaporates, just add extra water a little at a time to avoid a thin goulash (I added about 1 cup additional water in two additions over the entire cooking time).