Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. Steak (any cheap cut, top round, pre-tenderized, etc), cut into small pieces & fat trimmed off
2-4 Roma Tomato - seeded and diced, remove any hard structures
1 Can of Beef Stock (or use homemade)
1 finely diced onion
(optional) vegetables, carrots, celery, etc
Spices (all of them to taste):
Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Hot Paprika
1 tsp. Chili Powder, or 1/2 tsp Cayanne pepper
1/2 tsp. Marjoram
(or replace all above with Gulasch-Gewürz spice)
Minced Garlic (2 or more cloves)
Finishing Ingredients:
2-4 tbsp butter
Some flour or cornstarch for thickening
Procedure:
Heat a heavy frying pan, or oval oven (such as this - Le Creuset) with oil on high
When hot, add the steak. At this point you are almost stir frying. Just to sear the meat.
Reduce heat to low. Add the spices, onion and garlic and cook until the onions are slightly caramelized.
Add the tomato and warmed stock (don't add any cold after this point, it will spoil the tenderization process).
Cover the pan and cook for up to three hours on low. Half way through you can add any vegetables chosen also.
Check on the pan occasionally to ensure the stock did not evaporate. If it's getting thick, add more warm stock.
The mixture should be quite liquid, as you will make a gravy from it.
When the meat is über tender, remove the cover, and add the butter. Stir until melted.
Mix flour or cornstarch with water and carfully blend into the pan. Thicken until a light gravy is formed.
Serve gulasch over mashed potatoes, rice, wide egg noodles, or pasta. I like potatoes the best!