Equipment Needed: A large stew pot, (9 in. tall x 10in. diam. approx.)
Two frying pans, preferably non-stick. A grater.
Several glass or plastic measuring cups. Decide how many you will need after you have read the recipe.
Have a friendly butcher cube your beef OR get the necessary cubing device such as a sharp knife or a pair of those utility scissors. My type of scissors was once shown on TV cutting tin cans. Love that gadget!
Meat should be well-trimmed of gristle. Cubes about 1 inch.
A clear plastic bag to coat the beef.

The Single Batch Recipe (Serves Six)

(You might try a single batch first. Then, if you enjoy it, the next time you want GONZO. Double everything to get the 6 meals for 2 adults. Easy Math!

KEY Ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 lb. of cubed beef. Go for the extra half pound if you never want to wonder, "Where's the beef ?" You may use stewing beef or top sirloin. If you want extra-tender and tasty morsels, marinate the cubes overnight in a dry red wine. Use ceramic or glass bowl covered with plastic wrap. Remember, the better the wine, the better taste. Old Sailor just does not cut it.
1 large green pepper (Seeded and chopped or sliced into thin strips)
4 cups of beef stock or use bouillon cubes. Try to get the stuff without MSG. The vegetable bouillon cubes called "McCormick Beef Cubes" are quite good, although paradoxical.
3 cups of sliced onions
1/2 cup of grated carrots
1/2 cup of diced celery
2 cups of diced potatoes (1/2 to 3/4 in.). Oh, go ahead. Dice as you will. Keep the diced potatoes covered in water until you need them. When needed, drain well and pat dry with a paper towel before goulash entry.
1 cup of sliced mushrooms. Fresh, if possible. Canned, if necessary. Well-drained.
2 cans of tomato paste (5 1/2 oz. cans)

Garlic, Herbs and Spices

1 Tablespoon of Hungarian Paprika. Hungarian comes in sweet and hot varieties. Try half of each. The hot is my favorite. It does not blister but hums.
1/4 Teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Add this later in the cooking if you want an extra zing. Taste test the sauce before you do. Add a bit at a time. A little cayenne goes a long way.
3 Tablespoons of fresh parsley heads (no stems). Chop these well.
3 or more cloves of crushed garlic.
1 1/2 teaspoons of caraway seeds (This is crucial ingredient)
1 cup of white four. You may not use all of this.
Black pepper. Salt.

The Cooking Process (All Ingredients are Ready)

1. Do the meat first. Some recipes suggest you brown the meat in with the onions and caraway. I'm not adept enough to brown the meat as quickly or evenly when it is in with the onions. So I don't do it. The flavours will mix together eventually anyway. That's my theory.
Put 2-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in one of the frying pans on a medium heat. This will be your meat pan. Even making a single batch, don't brown all the meat at once. Do it in easy-to-manage batches. Before browning, shake the cubes in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper which has been placed inside the clear plastic bag. Try to brown all the meat gently on all sides. You will never do this, but it is a goal that even Martha Stewart has not reached. As you finish a batch of lightly browned cubes, put it in the stew pot. You may add more oil to the pan between batches. Batch away until all the meat is in the pot.
Add the beef stock to the pot and stir a bit. Still no heat.
(After this stage, I often pause for a sip of the excellent wine left in the bottle after the previous night's marinating. If you have no wine left, open a new bottle.)
2. In Frying Pan Number 2, put in a couple of tablespoons of oil. Heat this to medium. Put in enough onions to cover the pan. Add some caraway seeds. All the seeds should be used up when you finish sauteeing the onions in batches. Stir and lightly brown each mixture. Put onions and seeds in with the beef.
3. Add paprika, green pepper, carrot, celery, garlic and tomato paste. Warm the whole mixture until it bubbles in a friendly way. Do not boil! Cover. Simmer for at least an hour. Stir now and then. Taste sauce after 1/2 hour or so. It should be developing nicely.
4. After at least an hour of simmering, covered, take out one cube of beef. If the meat is fairly tender, add the potatoes and mushrooms. If the sauce could use a bit more zip, add some of the cayenne. Stir in. Simmer for another 1/2 hour. Taste again. Yum. Add the rest of the cayenne now if you wish. Simmer for the last half hour.