Hungarian Goulash

I have no idea if this dish is really Hungarian (it certainly doesn't resemble the goulash my family made when I was a child), but it's one of my favorite recipes of all time so I must share. There is some truly amazing taste in this dish, which comes from a little old 1970s cookbook entitled Crockery Cooking by Irena Chalmers, inherited from my grandmother.

This crock pot dish is perfect for any remaining wintry days as summer approaches. Set up the ingredients in the morning, and when you return home your house will smell fabulous. It only takes about 20 minutes to cut up the beef and set everything else up. Upon returning home after a long workday, the only last minute attention involves stirring in some sour cream if you eat dairy.

Hungarian Goulash

1/2 c. red wine
2.5 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 1" cubes
1 onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (I use canned diced tomatoes)
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 T. paprika
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs parsley (dried will do)
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. salt (I use more)
freshly ground pepper (I use white, not black)
sour cream to taste

Combine all ingredients except sour cream in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. When done, stir sour cream into the goulash (about 1 T. per serving). The original recipe also calls for cooking up a pot of egg noodles, but obviously I skip that.

I'm not terribly talented in the food picture department. Here is an approximation of what the dish looks like. Enjoy!