Easy Slow Cooked Beef or Pork Goulash

Browsing through the slow cooker recipes I have collected over the years, I came across one for Beef Goulash.  And I was thrilled to see it uses marjoram and we have loads in the garden that I don't really know what to do with.

The one and only time we had Goulash was on a ski-ing holiday in Austria about 6 years ago.  Out on the slopes Dad & I big bowls of soupy goulash with the Austrian wormlike nuddlen.

I couldn't be bothered to recreate the noodles, but the goulash itself was a cinch to make in the slow cooker - pop the ingredients in in the morning and leave to simmer away all day ready to eat with pasta, rice or mashed potato that night. I served ours with baked potatoes trying to convince the children that it was a kind of Chilli con Carne.

If you don't have a slow cooker this dish can also be cooked slowing on the hob for about 2 hours.  It could also be made with leftover roast pork.  Just make sauce and simmer with the cooked meat for half and hour, and better still then leave overnight for the flavours to intensify.

Serves 4

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper, roughly chopped
500g diced pork or stewing beef (or shin of beef)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp fresh marjoram or dried oregano
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sunflower oil

Fry the onions and garlic in a frying pan over a medium heat until beginning to brown.  Add the pepper and fry until starting to soften.  Tip this into the preheated slow cooker.  Quickly fry the meat in what is left of the oil in the pan.  When it starts to stick pour over the tin of tomatoes together with a can of recently boiled water, the remaining ingredients, and some pepper and salt to season.  Stir and bring to the boil.  Pour everything into the slow cooker give a quick stir then leave on high for 6 hours.

If not using a slow cooker cook start with a casserole dish with a lid that can go on the hob.  Fry everything in the same order as above, just leaving everything in the casserole dish.  Bring to the boil and then leave on the lowest heat for 2 hours simmering.  If unsure of your low heat, stir and scrape the bottom off the casserole from time to time to check it is not sticking to the bottom.

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