Chef John's Beef Goulash

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 bay leaf

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Pat the beef cubes dry and season them with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the beef to a plate.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the olive oil and chopped onions. Cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes until soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook 1 minute more.

3. Stir in the Hungarian paprika, crushed caraway seeds, black pepper, dried marjoram, ground thyme and cayenne pepper. Cook 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.

4. Pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the beef and any juices to the pot, then add the remaining 3 cups broth, the bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the sugar and the balsamic vinegar.

5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover partly and cook about 100 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender. Add a splash of water if the goulash becomes too thick.

6. Remove the bay leaf and season with more salt if needed. Check that the thickest beef piece reaches at least 145°F (63°C), then let the goulash rest 3 minutes before serving.