Czech Guláš

About This Recipe

Czech guláš is distinct from its Hungarian parent: it uses more onions (sometimes equal weight to the beef), less paprika, and no sour cream — producing a darker, denser, more intensely beefy sauce. It is the definitive pub dish of Bohemia and Moravia, served in virtually every Czech hospoda (pub) alongside a glass of dark Kozel or Pilsner Urquell. The technique relies on the almost caramelised onion base — the onions are cooked down for 30 minutes until they become a deep mahogany paste that gives the sauce its body without any thickening. This is honest, robust working-class food at its finest.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gbeef chuck or shin(cut into 4cm cubes)
• 700 gonions(thinly sliced — nearly as much as beef)
• 3 tbspsweet paprika
• 1 tsphot paprika or cayenne
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 2garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 tspcaraway seeds(lightly crushed)
• 300 mlbeef stock or dark beer
• 3 tbsplard or vegetable oil
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Caramelise onions

   In a large heavy pot, cook sliced onions in lard over medium heat for 25–30 min, stirring frequently, until deep golden-brown throughout.

2. 2

   Add paprika and beef

   Add sweet and hot paprika to the onions. Stir 30 seconds — do not let it burn. Add beef and stir to coat completely in the onion-paprika mixture.

   Add paprika to the fat off the direct heat briefly to bloom it without burning — burnt paprika turns bitter.

3. 3

   Add aromatics

   Add garlic, tomato paste, caraway, bay leaves. Stir and cook 2 min.

4. 4

   Braise

   Add stock or beer. The liquid should only come halfway up the beef — Czech guláš is not a soupy stew. Simmer covered on the lowest heat for 90 min, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender and the sauce is thick and dark.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve with sliced bread dumplings (knedlíky) or rye bread. A sprinkle of raw onion rings and a glass of Czech dark beer are traditional accompaniments.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced green pepper with the onions for a more Hungarian-style guláš

• •

  Segedinský guláš: Czech-German variant with pork and sauerkraut

• •

  Use wild boar instead of beef for a game version popular in Bohemia

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Improves significantly on day 2. Keeps 5 days refrigerated. Freezes very well for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions