Goulash came to Bohemia from Hungary in the days of the Habsburg empire and was promptly made Czech. The Hungarian original is closer to a soup; the Czech guláš is a thick, rich stew, its sauce built almost entirely from onions cooked down until they vanish, and seasoned with sweet paprika, caraway and marjoram. It is pub food in the best sense: on the lunch menu of every hospoda in the country, served with sliced bread dumplings or rye bread, raw onion rings and, inevitably, a glass of pilsner.

The rule Czech cooks repeat is that the weight of onions should come close to the weight of meat. It seems excessive until you taste the sauce. Guláš also improves overnight, which makes it a perfect make ahead dish for a race weekend.

The guláš

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil or lard
• 2 lb (900 g) yellow onions
• 2 1/4 lb (1 kg) beef chuck or shin
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika or a pinch of cayenne
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups (950 ml) beef stock or water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Method

1. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring every couple of minutes, for 20 minutes. If they start to stick or catch, add a splash of water and scrape the bottom.
2. Turn the heat to medium high, add the beef and stir for 5 to 7 minutes until it is browned on the outside.
3. Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the sweet and hot paprika, tomato paste, caraway, garlic, salt and pepper for 30 seconds, then immediately pour in about 1 cup of the hot stock and stir.
4. Return to the heat, add the remaining stock and the bay leaves, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick before the meat is tender.
5. Rub the marjoram between your palms over the pot to release its scent and stir it in. If the sauce is thin, mix the flour with 4 tablespoons cold water in the small bowl until smooth, stir it into the guláš and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and taste for salt.

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