Hungarian Beef Goulash with Cheese Dumplings

Ingredients:

Goulash

• 900 gr. beef neck, cut into 2.5 cm pieces.
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp. sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 can (800 g) of canned chopped tomatoes in their own juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

dumplings

• 0.5 cups premium flour
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.5 cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 340 g stale bread, cut into 1 cm cubes.
• 170 g grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• Finely chopped fresh parsley or chives for serving, optional

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 120°C.
2. Goulash:
   
   Sprinkle the beef with 0.5 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Heat a large wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, fry the beef in batches until dark brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onion and cook, scraping up any bits of meat from the bottom of the pot, for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, tomato paste, and cumin and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pot, then add the broth, chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf and stir. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat. Cover, place in the oven, and simmer until the beef is tender and flakes with a spoon but still holds its shape, about 2 hours.
4. dumplings:
   
   Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Combine the milk and eggs in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes, cheese, and green onions to the egg mixture and stir. Fold in the flour mixture. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
5. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Using a 1/3-cup ice cream scoop, form the mixture into tight balls. Add them to the saucepan and simmer until set, 15–20 minutes.
6. Divide the goulash among bowls and top each with one or two dumplings. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives, if desired.