2 HOURSMAINSBEEFPORKOVERNIGHT

Kotlíkový Guláš

Hearty outdoor kettle-style stew with hard-seared meats slow-braised over deeply caramelized onions, rested overnight, and gently reheated for maximum depth.

YIELD6–8 Portions (~2.5 kg Total Yield)
PREP30 mins
COOK120 mins (+ overnight rest)

Ingredients

Meat & Aromatics

  • 600 g Beef shank or chuck (hovädzie lýtko alebo krk), trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes
  • 400 g Pork shoulder (bravčové pliecko), cut into 3 cm cubes
  • 70 g Rendered pork lard (bravčová masť)
  • 800 g Yellow onions (equal weight to trimmed meat), finely diced
  • 5 cloves Fresh garlic, finely grated or crushed
  • 30 g Premier sweet Hungarian/Slovak paprika (sladká mletá paprika – Szeged or Žitava PDO)
  • 3 g Hot paprika or crushed dried chili flakes (štipľavá paprika – to taste)
  • 5 g Whole caraway seeds (celá rasca), lightly crushed
  • 3 Dried bay leaves
  • 4 Whole allspice berries

Vegetables, Stock & Finish

  • 600 g Waxy Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm chunks
  • 2 Hungarian wax peppers or green bell peppers, chopped into 2 cm squares
  • 2 Ripe medium tomatoes, skinned and diced (or 120 g canned crushed tomatoes)
  • 1.2 L Rich beef or poultry bone stock (hot)
  • 8 g Dried wild marjoram (majoránka)
  • 10 g Fine sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

To Serve

  • Crusty sourdough bread, sliced fresh hot peppers, and cold draught lager

Method

  1. Hard Sear Meat: Heat half of the pork lard in a heavy Dutch oven over high heat until lightly smoking. Sear dry beef and pork cubes in small batches for 2–3 minutes per side to build a deep roasted crust. Transfer to a bowl and reserve all resting juices.
  2. Deep Onion Caramelization: Lower heat to medium-low and melt remaining lard into the pot. Add finely diced onions, crushed caraway, and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly for 35–45 minutes, scraping up meat fond with tiny splashes of water, until onions break down into a dark amber jam.
  3. Bloom Paprika & Coat Meat: Add half of the grated garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, stir in premier sweet and hot paprika into the warm fat until fragrant, and return to medium-low heat. Add all seared meat along with resting juices, stirring to coat completely.
  4. Low & Slow Braise: Add bay leaves, allspice berries, 6 g salt, black pepper, diced tomatoes, chopped peppers, and 800 ml hot stock. Cover tightly with a heavy lid, reduce heat to bare minimum, and simmer gently for 50 minutes until beef begins to yield. Add remaining stock and cubed pork, simmering covered for another 25 minutes.
  5. Add Potatoes: Add potato chunks into the pot. Simmer gently uncovered over low heat for 20–25 minutes until potatoes are tender and their released starch thickens the gravy naturally.
  6. Finish & Overnight Rest: Take off heat. Rub dried marjoram between your palms into the pot and stir in remaining raw grated garlic. Cover and let cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. Reheat slowly over low heat the next day before serving with crusty sourdough bread.
Chef's Tip: Guláš is never at its peak on day one. Searing the meat hard locks in deep Maillard complexity, while an overnight rest allows the gelatin, melted onion starches, and ground spices to marry completely.