Hungarian Beef Stew

We had this for Christmas dinner this year. It’s a good choice for a holiday, since some of the elements can be prepped the day before. The story behind this recipe starts with my mother-in-law’s Baltic cruise. She brought back some gifts, including Hungarian paprika, and a recipe sheet from the cruise activity folks. I learned that paprika is delicate and should not be toasted or scorched, but its flavors benefit from being “bloomed” gently in warm oil. Cook’s Illustrated advises blending a generous amount of paprika with roasted peppers, oil and tomato paste for a smooth texture. The idea for this “skillet stew” format came from Cuisine At Home magazine.

• Ghee or vegetable oil
• 1.5 lb steak, cut into 2×4 inch chunks and “marinated” with a teaspoon or two of soy sauce
• 2 strips bacon
• 1 large onion, chopped medium
• 1 large or two small bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped (with liquid)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp Hungarian paprika, or “sweet” paprika, but not smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• Salt and pepper
• Cider vinegar

Heat cast-iron skillet, with 1 Tbsp ghee. Pat steaks dry. Sear steak until well-browned on both sides, remove, set aside, slice when cool enough to handle.

Turn heat to low, and cook bacon until crisp. Remove, drain on paper towel, and break into small pieces when cooled. Set aside.

Add onion, and a splash of water if the pan is getting super crusty. Sauté onion until very soft and browned.

Combine bell peppers, garlic, tomato paste, paprika, olive oil, and 1/2 tsp salt and stir into a paste. When onions are done, turn off heat and stir in paste. Sprinkle flour over and stir a bit longer. Deglaze with broth, adding it gradually, and bring to a simmer. When sauce is thickened, stir in sliced steak, bacon, and a few teaspoons of vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more vinegar.

Serve with roasted potatoes or egg noodles, garnished with sour cream and fresh dill.