Chili Goulash

(4-6 servings)

Recently I made some chili con carne in tandem with a friend. We hit the grocery store together then headed to our respective homes to cook. We spent the afternoon sending each other photos of our work in progress, from chopping up the veggies, to the beer we were drinking while preparing our meals. Both of our chilies turned out great, loaded with ground beef, various peppers and kidney beans.

When I finally finished the last of it over a week ago, I got to thinking it would be interesting to make a goulash seasoned much like an American chili. Nice chunks of marbled beef cooked slowly with an assortment of bell peppers and chili peppers, until the meat was fork tender and the vegetables broken down into a thick aromatic sauce. I left out the kidney beans Texas style, but added tomatoes which some believe don't belong in a proper goulash.

This Hungarian-American hybrid goulash was amazing! It was the perfect meal for a cold winter night.

1-2 tbsp oil, give or take
1 1/2 lbs marbled round steak (London Broil) cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large yellow onions, chopped fine
3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp whole caraway seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 cups beef broth

14.5oz can diced tomatoes
3 bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced

1 red fresno chili pepper, *seeded and diced

1-2 jalapeno peppers, *seeded and diced

1/4 cup finely ground cornmeal

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet and fry the meat until it's nicely browned. You might have to do this in batches. Place the meat into a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid; alternately you can place the meat into a slow cooker.  When you have finished with the meat, add more oil to the skillet if needed and lower the heat.

Add the garlic and the onions and fry them until they have softened. Stir them, scraping up the bits from the fried meat. When the onion mixture has softened add it to the meat in the pot or slow cooker.

Stir in the the paprika, chili powder, cumin, thyme, oregano, caraway, salt, pepper, broth and diced tomatoes. Bring the chili goulash to a gentle simmer, then stir in all of the diced peppers and *chili peppers. *Add the seeds for additional heat, if you prefer it hotter. Bring to a simmer again. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pot. Cook for about 3-4 hours or until the meat is fork tender. If you are making this in the slow cooker, it will probably take an extra few hours on the lowest setting; I'd probably aim for 6-7 hours.

Check and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Sprinkle the cornmeal evenly over the top, then stir it in until it's evenly distributed. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the chili goulash has thickened, stirring from time to time.

Ladle into bowls and serve. Garnish with parsley, if desired. This goulash reheats really well.