Goulash

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 325F Season flour with salt and pepper, toss meat in the flour until coated. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot or dutch oven. When shimmering, add meat and cook until well browned on all sides. (You may need to do this in batches- avoid overcrowding the meat.) Once all of the meat is browned, set it aside in a bowl. Add a little bit more oil if needed and cook onions 3-5 min until tender. Scrape any bits left from the meat browning into the onions. Add garlic, stir for 1-2 min until very fragrant. Add tomato paste, paprika, and generous pinch of red pepper flakes.. Stirring constantly, cook for approx 5 minutes or until tomato paste no longer has totally raw smell. Return beef and any accumulated juices to pot, add broth and wine. Cover and put in the oven. Let it go until meat is fork tender and sauce has come together... this time, I cooked it at 325F for 1.5 hours, then turned the oven down to 300F when I left the house and let it cook for another 2.5 hours. Remove from the oven and finish at a low simmer on the stovetop. At this point, you are just keeping warm and adjusting seasoning (salt/pepper/crished red pepper). Anytime you add crushed red pepper, let it simmer for awhile and taste again- builds sneakily. Finish with a splash of heavy cream and/or a good sized dollop of sour cream- stir in dairy until you reach desired consistency. Serve over [buttered egg noodles, spatzle, whatever] with a drop of sour cream and parsley if you are feeling fancy.