Step 1

Peel the onions and chop them into small pieces. Also, peel the carrot and wash the celery stick (optional). Cut the carrot and celery into slices.

Step 2

Cut the beef into approximately 3/4 inch cubes.

Step 3

In a large pot, melt some butter (or oil) and fry the beef on high heat for a few minutes until the outside appears to be cooked. If you want a more intense flavor, you can also fully sear the outsides. Stir regularly. Remove the beef from the pot and place the cubes into a bowl for now. Set the bowl aside.

Step 4

Add the onions to the large pot and sauté them until translucent (or lightly brown if preferred). Add the celery and carrot and sauté these vegetables for a few minutes as well.

Step 5

Now add the paprika, tomato paste, and a pinch of sugar. Mix well and cook on medium-high heat for a minute as well.

Step 6

Next, add the red wine in three increments - approx. 1/3 cup at a time. Add some wine, stir it in, and then wait until it has reduced noticeably. Then add some more wine and repeat until you have used up the whole cup.

Step 7

Re-add the beef to the pot, stir everything and then add enough beef broth so that it just covers the contents in the pot. In our case, this is usually between 1 1/2 - 2 cups of broth - it might vary slightly for you. At this stage, also add your bay leaf if you want some more flavor (optional).

Step 8

Bring the broth to a boil, then turn down the heat to low, add the lid and let the goulash simmer on low heat for around 2 hours until the meat is very tender. Stir occasionally and add more broth as necessary (we don't usually need to do this).

Step 9

When you are happy with the tenderness of the meat, add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 10

Optional: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a little bit of cold water in a separate mug. Add it to the pot with the goulash and stir regularly while simmering the broth until it has thickened.

Step 11

Serve your goulash with Spätzle (egg noodles), fusilli pasta, potatoes, bread dumplings, or fresh bread.