Hungarian Beef Pörkölt

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
• 2 lb yellow onions, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp lard or neutral oil
• 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 tsp hot Hungarian paprika
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups warm water, plus more as needed
• Salt, to taste
• Egg noodles or bread, to serve

Before you cook

• Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season generously with salt.
• Finely chop the onions.
• Mince the garlic and dice the bell pepper and tomato.

Steps

1. Melt the lard in a heavy pot over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and a pinch of salt.
3. Cook the onions slowly, stirring often, for 20 minutes until soft, glossy and pale gold.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the beef in a single layer, browning it in batches if the pot is crowded.
5. Brown the beef on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch, then return all the beef to the pot.
6. Pull the pot off the heat and stir in the sweet and hot paprika, coating the meat evenly.
7. Return the pot to low heat for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so the paprika toasts without scorching.
8. Pour in the warm water immediately to stop the paprika from burning.
9. Add the garlic, bell pepper, tomato, caraway seeds and bay leaves.
10. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
11. Check the beef for tenderness; if it still resists a fork, cover and simmer another 20 minutes.
12. Uncover the pot for the final 15 minutes and let the sauce reduce until it clings thickly to the meat rather than pooling around it.
13. Taste and adjust the salt.
14. Discard the bay leaves and serve the pörkölt over egg noodles.