Beef Paprikash with Pasta
1 lb. Lean ground beef
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 lb. Short-cut pasta, your choice (elbows pictured here)
28 oz. can Diced or crushed tomatoes, in their juice1
1 medium Onion (any variety), diced
1 Roasted red pepper, chopped roughly
1 c. Mushrooms (any small variety), sliced or quartered
1 medium Green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves Garlic, smash-peeled and minced roughly
1/2 c. Flour
1 c. Sour cream
1/2 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
6 tsp. Smoked sweet or hot paprika (Hungarian preferred), divided2
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2 c. Beef stock
2 Bay leaves
1 dash Frank’s® (a hefty dash)
6 oz. can Tomato paste
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Anise seed
1/2 tsp. Instant coffee crystals
(1 tsp. Caraway seed in place of the anise and cumin, as preferred)
Additional Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Crumble ground beef into a large pot, sprinkle with some salt, pepper, and the flour, and stir until flour incorporates. Cook over medium heat until just browned (about 6-8 minutes).
Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside.
Add the oil, and caramelize 2 tbsp. of the tomato paste in it and the beef renderings for a minute or two, until fragrant.
Add the onions and garlic, and sautée until the onion is just softened, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the peppers and sautée for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, Frank’s®, vinegar, all the spices, coffee and stock, and stir well.
Cover, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a rapid simmer.
Uncover and stir in the sour cream, until well blended.
Return the browned beef to the pot, stir thoroughly, reduce the heat to medium, and cover.
While the beef and sauce simmers to combine, cook the pasta according to package directions, until 1 minute short of al dente. Be sure to add about a tablespoon of salt to the water after it reaches a boil, and before putting in the pasta.
Using a spider scoop, add the pasta to the beef and sauce, and stir. (If draining in a colander –which is acceptable- reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.)
Stir in about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to help the sauce adhere to the pasta. (Use more if the sauce is too thick or not adhering to the pasta after a minute or two.)
Add the remaining tomato paste and stir until incorporated.
Continue to cook another 1-2 minutes (or so), until the pasta is al dente.
Serve piping hot, or keep hot in a slow cooker (Crock Pot™), or chafing pan/dish.
I’ve already railed against the macaroni-tomato-beef slop that endlessly shows up at almost every buffet or potluck. I finally said to myself, “Self: there must be a better way.” So…
I took my Goulash recipe (authentically Hungarian), changed it up a bit, and came up with this for this Sunday’s football half-time buffet. (I wanted to serve true Goulash, but then I did the math: Goulash for 30-40 people? Cost prohibitive! I scaled Sunday’s buffet recipe down to this, which serves 6-8 people.)
This recipe combines traditional Hungarian ingredients/flavors, with an American idea, cooked using Italianate technique(s). I actually impressed myself with that!
Never, ever again will there be any excuse for that macaroni-tomato-beef bilge turning up, masquerading as “goulash.” Never.
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1 If you want a sweeter Paprikash, use a 28 oz. can of whole San Marzano tomatoes, and crush or chop them by hand.
2 A blend of sweet and hot may be used as desired.
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