Hungarian Beef Stew

From inthekitchenwithkath.com

(Adapted from a recipe in The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook)

A tight-fitting lid on your pot is essential for this success of this recipe. You don’t want the liquid to escape and evaporate. My Le Creuset Dutch oven worked fine. If your lid does not seal your pot well, cover the pot with a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil before putting the lid on.

Serves 6

1 (3½ - 4-pound) boneless beef chuck eye roast, pulled apart at the seams, trimmed, and cut into 1½-inch pieces

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup Hungarian sweet paprika

1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed and patted dry

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 tablespoons oil (I used light olive oil.)

4 large onions (about 2½ pounds), chopped fine

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds

1 bay leaf

If needed: Up to 1 cup beef broth (I did not need it.)

1. Put the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325˚.

2. Toss the beef with 1 teaspoon of salt and let it sit for 15 minutes.

3. Process the paprika, roasted peppers, tomato paste, and 2 teaspoons of vinegar in a food processor. (My mini-prep food processor worked fine.)

4. Stir the onions, oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt together in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium low heat for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the onions have softened but have not started to brown.

5. Add the paprika mixture to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes.

6. Add the beef, carrots, and bay leaf to the pot and stir until the beef is well coated with the onion/paprika mixture.

7. Cover the pot and put it in the oven. Cook for about 2½ hours, stirring the stew every 30 minutes.

8. At this point, add just enough beef broth so the liquid is ¼ inch from the top of the meat. (When I made it, the liquid was already about ¼ inch below the top, so the beef broth wasn’t necessary.)

9. Put the pot back in the oven and continue to cook for about 30 more minutes. By this time the beef should be fork-tender.

10. Skim any excess fat from the top of the stew. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

11. Serve over egg noodles or boiled and smashed potatoes.