Recipe - Slow Cooker Beef Goulash

Now that the cold weather has come, Teena and I have taken out the crock-pot (slow-cooker). Today I made a Beef Goulash using a recipe from the Best of Bridge, Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Here are the ingredients:

3 lb (1.5kg)   boneless beef chuck, blade or cross rib roast (I used eye of the round)
1 tbsp           vegetable oil
3                   small onions or shallots, thinly sliced (I used shallots and did a thin dice)
4 cloves        garlic
1 tsp             oregano
1 tsp             caraway seeds- optional (I used them)
1/2 tsp          salt
1/4 tsp          pepper
2 tbsp           tomato paste
1/4 cup         all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups    beef broth
1/2 cup         tomato-based chili sauce (I used Willie's chili style sauce as it's my favourite)
1 tbsp           sweet paprika (I used sweet smoked paprika, a favourite spice of mine)
1 tbsp           lemon juice
                     sour cream to be used as garnish, so not really necessary

Cut the beef into 1" cubes (2.5cm) and put into the slow cooker. You'll notice our slow cooker has a bag in it. This is a specific slow cooker bag so you don't have to scrub  the cooker after. They are especially good for old slow cookers like this one. I received it as a wedding present (wife #1) in 1976.

Heat oil over a medium heat in a skillet. Add onions, garlic, oregano, caraway seeds, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Stir together and let simmer for a minute or two.

Then stir in flour, broth and chili sauce. Next time I would mix in the broth, remove a half cup and mix the flour into it, add it back, then add the chili sauce.

When it just starts to boil, pour over the beef and stir in well. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low.

After 8 hours, add the paprika and lemon to a small bowl. I also added some of the liquid from the slow cooker to help it all mix better. Mix well and stir into cooker. Turn to high, put the lid back on and let it cook for another 20-30 minutes.

Add to egg noodles, pasta or rice. We used rice.

-b

It was delicious. No particular taste comes through, although it almost tastes as if it were red wine-based, which it isn't. There is an earthiness to this, which is not a bad thing. Definitely a tasty, hearty, filling meal.

Teena said this would be excellent to have after a day out snowshoeing. When we go, I'll definitely put this on.