Gulyas

Heat the oil or oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add all the diced onions, and cook slowly for fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring frequently, until they are deeply soft, golden, and almost melting into a paste.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in both the sweet and hot paprika immediately, mixing quickly for thirty seconds to coat the onions without burning the paprika, which is the foundation of the goulash flavour.

Return the pot to high heat, add the beef cubes in a single layer, and cook for five minutes, turning occasionally, until the meat is lightly seared on all sides and has absorbed the paprika-onion base.

Add the diced tomatoes, diced peppers, crushed caraway seeds, and minced garlic, stirring to combine, then pour in the water or broth and bring everything to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and cook for sixty minutes, skimming any foam that rises to the surface, until the beef begins to feel tender when pierced with a fork.

Add the cubed potatoes to the pot, stir gently, and continue simmering for another thirty minutes until the potatoes are soft and the beef is very tender, falling apart at the touch of a spoon.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, noting that authentic Hungarian goulash should be a soupy stew with a thin, paprika-red broth, not a thick, gravy-like sauce. Add more water if the consistency is too thick.

Ladle the goulash into deep bowls, ensuring each serving has generous portions of tender beef, soft potatoes, and plenty of the fragrant paprika broth. Serve with crusty bread and no sour cream, which is reserved for paprikash.