In the grey cold of winter, a warm pot of pretty much anything could warm the soul. In the spirit of a Hungarian gulyás, this stew elevates inexpensive cuts of beef by slow-cooking alongside earthy sweet parsnips and smokey spicy paprikas. A meal meant to be shared or eaten for a few days, this recipe make 8 servings and can easily be prepared in a crock pot. To serve, pour over rice and top with the bright bok choy slaw.
3 pounds beef stew meat or chuck roast cut to 1 ½ inch cubes
1 Tbsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece of ginger, grated
5 banana peppers, chopped
add 1 tsp. dried chili flake if the banana peppers aren't spicy
1 pound parsnips, diced
2 Tbsp. sweet paprika
2 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. ground caraway, divided
3 tomatoes, cored and diced
2 cups red wine
1 bunch of bok choy
1 ½ Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Cooked Rice, optional
Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 ½ tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. Sear on all sides and set aside.
Turn the pot down to medium-low. Add onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in paprikas, 1 ½ caraway and 1 ½ tsp. salt. Add 2 cups of red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan.
Add the beef and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cover. After one hour, add the peppers and parsnips to the pot and continue to cook 1 hour and 30 minutes until beef is very tender.
While the stew is cooking prepare the bok choy slaw. Finely chop the bok choy. Whisk together sherry vinegar, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and 1 ½ tsp. caraway. Dress the bok choy and set aside to marinate.
Serve the braised beef stew over rice with bok choy slaw to garnish.