Ingredients:

  • 1 kg (2.2 lbs) Beef Chuck Steak (or stewing beef), cut into 4 cm (1.5-inch) cubes
  • 1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 tbsp Plain (All-Purpose) Flour (Optional)
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil or Rapeseed Oil, divided
  • 1 large Brown Onion, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Paste (Purée)
  • 4 tbsp High-Quality Hungarian Sweet Paprika
  • 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika (Pimentón)
  • 1 tsp Caraway Seeds (optional)
  • 1 (400g/14 oz) tin Chopped Tomatoes
  • 500 ml (2 cups) Beef Stock (low sodium)
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 600g (1.3 lbs) Desiree or Maris Piper Potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm (1-inch) chunks
  • 1 tbsp Cornflour (Corn Starch) mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (Slurry, for thickening, if needed)
  • 125g (½ cup) Crème Fraîche or Sour Cream (for serving)
  • Fresh Parsley, chopped (for serving)

Instructions:

  1. Pat the beef cubes dry with kitchen paper and season thoroughly with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the beef cubes in the plain flour.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over high heat. Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned on all sides (about 3-4 minutes per batch).
  3. Transfer the seared beef directly to the slow cooker insert.
  4. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil to the frying pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent.
  5. Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and caraway seeds. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to 'bloom' the spices.
  6. Pour a splash of the beef stock into the frying pan, scraping up any browned bits (fond) stuck to the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
  7. Pour the onion mixture, along with the chopped tomatoes, remaining beef stock, and the bay leaf, over the beef in the slow cooker. Stir everything gently to combine.
  8. Secure the lid and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.
  9. Open the slow cooker and stir in the potato chunks. Continue cooking for an additional 2 hours on LOW or 1 hour on HIGH, until the potatoes are tender and the beef is fork-tender.
  10. Optional: If the sauce is too thin, stir in the cornflour slurry during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  11. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Check the seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  12. Ladle the Slow Cooker Goulash into deep bowls. Garnish each serving with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.