Goulash!

Goulash and beer were everywhere in Prague. Here's my recipe:

Beef Goulash

2 T vegetable oil
2 lb. beef round, cut into 1" chunks
3 small onions, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 T good, sweet Hungarian paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth, boiling
2 T balsamic or wine vinegar
2 T tomato paste
sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 c pilsner beer
2 T cornstarch in 1/3 c water

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and brown the hell out of the meat in batches so that it doesn't become soupy. Reduce heat to medium and saute onions with the meat. After a couple minutes, add the garlic and paprika. Cook until onions are soft and clear. Add the chopped pepper and saute a few minutes more. Add the broth, vinegar and tomato paste and stir well. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add beer and simmer another 10 minutes. Whisk in a little cornstarch water to make a nice gravy. Serve over bread and/or potato dumplings.

Serves 4.