Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Prepare and brown the beef
Pat the beef dry and cut it into cubes about 3 cm across. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the beef in 2–3 batches so the pieces develop a good color rather than steaming in their own juices. Transfer the browned beef to a bowl.
Make the paprika base
Finely chop the onion. In the same pan, cook it, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes, until softened and golden. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sweet and hot paprika, pressed garlic, caraway, and marjoram. Add the vinegar and stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Slow-cook the goulash
Put the beef, onion mixture, bay leaf, 5 g of the salt, and black pepper in a 4–5 L slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on LOW for 420 minutes. Do not open the lid during the first 6 hours. Use fully thawed beef and follow the slow cooker manufacturer's instructions; at the end, the beef should be tender and its internal temperature should be at least 71°C.
Mix the dumpling mixture
During the last 35 minutes of cooking, cut the rolls into small cubes. Warm the milk until hot but not boiling, then pour it over the bread. Leave to soak for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs, melted butter, flour, chopped parsley, nutmeg, and the remaining 3 g of salt. The mixture should hold its shape; form it into 8 equal dumplings.
Cook the bread dumplings
Place the dumplings in a wide pot of gently simmering water. Cook at a gentle simmer for 18–20 minutes; the water must not boil vigorously or they may fall apart. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain briefly.
Finish and serve
Remove the bay leaf. Stir the sauce; the onion will naturally thicken it, and the beef should be tender but not falling apart. Stir in the remaining 5 ml of vinegar and taste to check that its acidity is balanced with the saltiness of the goulash. Serve the goulash hot with the dumplings.
