Do you love one pot meals? They are the perfect way to get a delicious dinner on the table with minimal effort. This American Beef Goulash is a hearty, filling soup that will warm you up on a cold winter night. The beef and vegetables are cooked in a savory broth until tender, making this dish perfect for those busy weeknights. So, let’s start our culinary adventure!
Original European Goulash
The Hungarian Goulash, the originator of the American one, is a dish that consists of ground beef, veal, or pork combined with paprika, onions, and red wine. It’s commonly made with beef in Hungary, but it’s also prepared with cow. In Hungary, goulash is usually served as a soup, although Hungarian Goulash (usually) made with pork is known as pörkölt.
Tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, beans, sauerkraut and mushrooms can all be included. The sauce or gravy may be hearty with wine and seasoned with vinegar or strongly tomatoey. The dish is called paprikás if sour cream is used. Rye bread is usually used to sop up the soup; the stew is often served over spaetzle, bow-tie pasta or wide noodles.
What Does A One Pot Dish Mean?
A one-pot dish is a straightforward cooking technique that combines all of a dish’s essential components in one pot while cooking. One pot dishes are the perfect way to get a delicious dinner on the table with minimal effort.
Historical Roots of American Goulash
American Beef Goulash is a one pot meal that combines meat with noodles, peppers and onions. It is similiar to Hungarian Goulash which also has paprika in it but does not use tomatoes nor sweet bell peppers. Hungarian goulash uses beef stock instead of water like the American version does. The word “gulás” means “herd of cattle.” Hungarians have been raising cattle for at least a thousand years, so it’s understandable how they came up with this dish.
In America, we don’t raise our own livestock, but we have plenty of beef to choose from. The great thing about American Beef Goulash is that you can use any part of the beef you like, whether it’s a tougher part like roast beef or steak or a more tender part like filet mignon.
The American Beef Goulash, a spin-off of the Hungarian goulash, combines the original with the two, arguably most essential principles of American home cooking: simplicity and speed. Thus, there are many variations of this dish and everyone has their own way of making it, but the basic ingredients are always the same.
Some people add potatoes while others add carrots. You can also add green beans, corn, peas or other vegetables if you like. The sauce is made with beef broth, tomato paste, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. You can adjust the seasonings to your liking!
American Beef Goulash: Step-by-Step Recipe
How to Make American Beef Goulash? Here is the step-by-step recipe. You will need the following ingredients:
- olive oil
- yellow onion, diced
- garlic cloves, minced
- beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into cubes
- all-purpose flour
- salt and black pepper to taste
- beef broth
- cheese
- tomato paste
- black pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
Step One: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil. When hot, add the onions, peppers and garlic. Sauté until softened.
Step Two: Add the beef cubes and toss them in the flour mixture until well coated. Add salt and black pepper. Stir everything around to make sure the beef is coated with the spices.
Step Three: Add cooked noodles and stir to combine.
Step Four: Add the beef broth, tomato paste, grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce to pot, stir everything together and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour or until meat is tender.
Step Five: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Where to Eat Good American Beef Goulash
American Beef Goulash is a popular dish in many restaurants, so finding one shouldn’t be too difficult.
Some places that may serve it are Austrian cafes, German biergartens, and Hungarian restaurants. But really, any restaurant that serves European cuisine will most likely have American Beef Goulash on the menu.
So the next time you’re out and about and looking for something different to eat, give this delicious stew a try! You won’t regret it!
Tips to make Good American Beef Goulash:
- You can use any cut of beef you like for this recipe, but I recommend using a tougher cut like roast beef or steak rather than a more tender cut like filet mignon. The tough cuts will braise and become tender in the stew. If you do use a more tender cut, it may not need as long to cook and could become dry.
- The longer you simmer the stew, the more tender and flavorful the beef will be. I usually simmer it for about an hour on low heat before serving with mashed potatoes or egg noodles!
- If you want to use a different type of noodles, try pappardelle or wide egg noodles.
- If you want to make this dish vegetarian friendly just omit the meat altogether and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth in step two above. You can also add some mushrooms if desired!
Enjoy!
So there you have it, a classic American Beef Goulash recipe that is hearty, filling and sure to please everyone! Give it a try this winter and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!