Real Hungarian Goulash - Cook's Illustrated

From Cook's Illustrated, Dec 2008. Use a chuck eye roast (RZ doesn't recognize this cut). Do not use hot, half-sharp or Spanish paprika; if you can, mail-order your sweet paprika and use a fresh container. Cook's Illustrated prefers The Spice House. The stew can be prepared up to 2 days ahead; do not add the optional sour cream until after reheating. Remove the hardened fat and add water to thin it. (I like to add about 1/2 lb of button mushrooms, quartered, with the carrots and beef, but that wasn't in the original CI recipe.)

• Ready In: 3 hrs 55 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2lb)  boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
•  table salt
• 1⁄3 cup sweet paprika
• 12  ounces  roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed (about 1 cup)
• 2  tablespoons tomato paste
• 3  teaspoons white vinegar, divided
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 4  large onions, diced small
• 4  large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick rounds
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  cup beef broth, warmed
• 1  lb small potato, peeled
• 1⁄2 cup beef broth
• 1  cup water
• 1⁄4 cup sour cream (optional)
•  ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place rack in lower-middle position of oven and heat to 325°F.
2. Sprinkle meat with 1 tsp salt and let stand 15 minute.
3. In a food processor, combine paprika, peppers, tomato paste and 2 tsp vinegar until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
4. Heat oil in Dutch oven until shimmering. Add onions and 1 tsp salt. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften but are not brown, 8-10 minutes.
5. Stir in paprika paste and cook until onions begin to stick to bottom of pan, 2 minutes.
6. Add beef, carrots and bay leaf. Stir until everything is well coated. Scrape down sides of pot, cover and place in oven. Cook, stirring every 30 minutes, until meat is tender, and liquid is 1/2" below top of meat, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
7. Remove pot from oven and add enough warmed beef broth to bring liquid level up to 1/4" below top of meat. Do not cover meat in liquid! Replace pot cover and return to oven about 30 minutes more, until a fork slides in and out of beef easily.
8. Meanwhile, put potatoes, 1/2 cup beef broth and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a rapid simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes.
9. Skim fat off surface of stew. Stir in 1 tsp vinegar and sour cream, if using. Remove bay leaf and adjust seasonings. Serve over boiled potatoes.