Beef goulash

Serve this hearty, warming meal with thick, crusty bread.

Here’s a dish the whole family will enjoy – even those with picky tastes. You can play around with the ingredients; add whichever vegetables you have to hand, or swap the potatoes for red kidney beans.

Ingredients

Olive oil
200g (7 oz) bacon pieces (or use bacon slices, chopped)
750g (1 ½ pounds) gravy (stewing) beef, cut into 4cm (1.5 inch) cubes
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red capsicums (bell peppers), chopped
2 carrots, sliced
300g mushrooms, quartered
1 ½ tablespoons sweet paprika
2 dried bay leaves
¼ red wine
400g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes (or use fresh tomatoes)
2 cups low-sodium beef stock
2-3 potatoes, cut into chunks
Sour cream, for serving
Fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme or oregano, for serving

1. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and fry bacon pieces until brown and crisp. Remove bacon and place on paper towels. Add beef to saucepan and brown. Season with pepper then add flour and stir. If necessary add a little more olive oil.

2. Add the onion, garlic, capsicums, carrots, mushrooms, paprika and bay leaves to the saucepan and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the wine, tomatoes and beef stock, bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

4. Add the bacon pieces and potato and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the potato is cooked.

5. Pour into serving bowls. Stir in a blob of sour cream and top with chopped fresh herbs.