You know that I do not eat a lot of red meat, but every now and then, I really enjoy it. Red meat used to be one the foods I did not cook for myself and only enjoyed on special occasions such as eating out (I am still not able to make a good steak, so there) or when I am cooked for by my mom. This has to do with the fact that red meat is more expensive than chicken or turkey and, in my opinion, affords superior cooking skills to turn out well.
Well, I am able to cook it, but too often it has had the texture of a shoe sole then.
~ yeah, this really looks like a challenge! ~
Anyway, my mom makes a very good goulash – so good that the meat almost melts on the tongue. Even better, she told me that it is not even difficult to make a goulash like that! The key to success is simply slow cooking for quite a long time, and the goulash gets even better every time you heat it up again.
The basic recipe is very simple: Just heat some fat, roast the meat from all sides, fill in some water until everything is covered, and let it cook down on small heat, up to three times. The longer you cook it, the better it gets. I tried this, but could not resist to add some onions, spices, and herbs – my-style, you know. And since I cannot advocate to devote such a long cooking time to just a single serving, I made several servings at once. It turned out so well! And the leftovers can be kept in the fridge or frozen for further enjoyment.
SPICY BEEF GOULASH
4 servings
Ingredients
butter or oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 onions, peeled and chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black cumin seeds
500 g (1 lb) beef goulash, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt to taste
1 tsp dried chili flakes
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Directions
In a large pot, heat some fat and roast garlic, onions, coriander, and black cumin seeds until fragrant.
Add the goulash meat and roast it from all sides while stirring constantly. Then fill the pot with water until everything is just covered. Season with salt, chili, turmeric, and thyme.
Cover the pot and cook the goulash at low to medium heat for about one and a half hours. If the water is used up during the cooking process, refill some. In the end, the liquid should be reduced so that there is just a little sauce, but the dish is not soupy anymore. Add the parsley, serve with a nice vegetable side dish or a salad, and enjoy.
Is there a dish you have learned from your mom?
