Richard Blais' Beef Goulash
- 4 large, meaty, beef back ribs (6 to 8 inches long) or 8 short ribs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 yellow onions, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup sweet Hungarian paprika, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons caraway seeds, crushed, plus toasted whole seeds for garnish
- 1 28-ounce can whole, peeled, San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
- 2 to 3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar, to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 325°F. Season ribs well on all sides with salt and pepper. Put the flour into a pie plate, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Dredge the ribs in the flour, coating completely and shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (large enough to hold the ribs lying down) over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Add onions, bay leaf, paprika and crushed caraway seeds to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are beginning to turn golden, 12-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir until well-combined.
Taste the goulash and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. To serve, divide the goulash among four shallow bowls and set a rib on top of each serving. Garnish with a sprinkling of toasted caraway seeds, paprika, and chopped parsley, if using. Serve immediately, with mashed potatoes.
****Notes for using pressure cooker: After the ribs are seared with the onions, etc., everything goes into the pressure cooker and cooks for 25 minutes (so it’s a 30-minute total cook time vs 2.5 hours).