Gulasch

Name: Gulasch
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Austrian
Ingredients: 800g beef chuck or shin, cut into 3–4 cm cubes; 600g yellow onions, finely sliced; 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika; 1 teaspoon hot paprika (or to taste); 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 100ml red wine; 400ml beef stock; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons lard or neutral oil; Salt and black pepper to taste

Also known as: goulash

About this dish

Gulasch is a hearty, paprika-rich beef stew that is a staple of Austrian home cooking and inn cuisine, featuring tender chunks of beef slow-cooked in a deeply flavoured onion and paprika sauce. It is closely related to the Hungarian gulyás from which it descends, but has developed its own distinct, saucier character in the Austrian culinary tradition.

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Ingredients

🥩800g beef chuck or shin, cut into 3–4 cm cubes

🧅600g yellow onions, finely sliced

🫑2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

🌶️1 teaspoon hot paprika (or to taste)

🧄2 cloves garlic, minced

🍅1 tablespoon tomato paste

🍷100ml red wine

🫙400ml beef stock

🌿1 teaspoon caraway seeds

🍋1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

🧈2 tablespoons lard or neutral oil

🧂Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Serves 2

Heat the lard or oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring regularly, for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and soft — this step is essential for a rich, flavourful sauce.

Remove the pot from the heat briefly and stir in the sweet and hot paprika, the garlic, and the caraway seeds. Stir quickly for about 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the paprika.

Add the tomato paste and stir to combine, then return the pot to medium heat. Add the beef cubes and stir to coat them well in the onion and paprika mixture.

Pour in the red wine and allow it to bubble and reduce for 2–3 minutes, scraping up any bits from the base of the pot.

Add the beef stock — it should just barely cover the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook on a low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender.

If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid for the final 20–30 minutes to allow it to reduce and thicken. The sauce should be glossy, deep red, and coat the meat well.

Stir in the white wine vinegar, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or a little more paprika as needed.

Serve hot with Semmelknödel (bread dumplings), Spätzle (egg noodles), or crusty bread rolls, and optionally a dollop of sour cream on the side.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Gulasch arrived in Austrian cuisine via the historical connections of the Habsburg Empire, which brought Hungarian cooking influences into Vienna and the broader Austrian lands. Today it is firmly embedded in everyday Austrian cooking and is a classic fixture of Viennese Gasthäuser (traditional inns), typically served with bread dumplings (Semmelknödel), egg noodles (Spätzle), or bread rolls. The Viennese style tends to produce a richer, more sauce-forward stew compared to some other regional versions.

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