Original video by @BrianLagerstrom — all credit to the creator.
3 Iconic Stews: Hungarian Goulash, Irish Beef & Stout, and Beef Bourguignon
Three deeply savory braises built on the same technique — broiled chuck, a gelatin-boosted stock, and a long, low oven — then chilled overnight so the flavor and body come together. Goulash goes rich with sweet paprika, the Irish stew leans on stout and root vegetables, and the bourguignon finishes as a glossy red-wine glaze over mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Hungarian Goulash
- 3 lbchuck roast · 1.5 kg, cut into 1–2 in cubes
- —salt and pepper
- 40 golive oil · 3 Tbsp
- 600 gyellow onion · 4 large, small dice
- 20 ggarlic · 6 cloves, minced
- 30 gtomato paste · 2 Tbsp
- 50 gsweet paprika · 1/4 cup
- 14 ggelatin · 2 packs
- 1000 gstock · 4 cups, chicken or beef
- 3bay leaves
- 5 gBetter Than Bouillon beef base · 1 heaping tsp
- 150 gred bell peppers · 2 peppers, large dice
- 300 gcarrots · 3 medium, chunky dice
- 450 gpotatoes · 3 medium, 1 in dice
- —sour cream · for garnish
- —chives · for garnish
Irish Beef & Stout Stew
- 3.5 lbbeef chuck · 1.5 kg, cut into 1–2 in cubes
- 15 gsalt · 1 Tbsp
- 40 golive oil · 3 Tbsp
- 175 gcremini mushrooms · 10 oz, quartered
- 250 gcarrots · 3 medium, large dice
- 300 ggold potatoes · about 3 medium, halved
- 120 gpearl onions · 1 1/2 cups, peeled
- 75 gunsalted butter · 5 Tbsp
- 75 gall-purpose flour · 1/2 cup
- 600 gstout beer · 2 1/2 cups, such as Guinness
- 750 gbeef stock · 3 cups
- 21 ggelatin · 3 packs
- 20 gBetter Than Bouillon beef base · 1 Tbsp
- 20 gtomato paste · 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
- 20 gWorcestershire sauce · 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp
- 2–3bay leaves
- 2–3 sprigsthyme
- 90 gfrozen peas · 1 heaping cup
- —black pepper
Beef Bourguignon
- 3.5 lbbeef chuck · 1.5 kg, cut into large chunks
- —salt
- 30 golive oil · 2 Tbsp
- 750 mldry red wine · 3 cups
- 300 gonions · 2 medium, rough chop
- 300 gcarrots · 2 carrots, rough chop
- 150 gcelery · 2 stalks, rough chop
- 1 headgarlic · halved
- 4–5 sprigsthyme
- 2bay leaves
- 900 gbeef stock · 3 3/4 cups
- 4 packsgelatin
- 15 gtomato paste · 1 Tbsp
- 20 gBetter Than Bouillon beef base · 1 Tbsp
- 25 golive oil · 2 Tbsp, for the mushrooms
- 275 gcremini mushrooms · 10 oz, quartered
- 300 gcarrots · 2 medium, sliced, for the finish
- —mashed potatoes · for serving
Steps
- 1
HUNGARIAN GOULASH: Toss the cubed chuck with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then broil about 15 minutes until browned. Reserve the tray juices.
- 2
Sweat the diced onions in oil for 15 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- 3
Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the sweet paprika for about 30 seconds.
- 4
Whisk the gelatin into the stock and add it to the pot along with the beef base and bay leaves. Add the browned beef and the tray juices, then bake at 300 °F / 150 °C for 90 minutes.
- 5
Add the carrots, bell peppers, and potatoes and bake 45–60 minutes more, until tender.
- 6
Taste and season with salt. Cool 30 minutes, chill overnight, then skim the fat, reheat, and season again. Serve with sour cream and chives.
- 7
IRISH BEEF & STOUT STEW: Season the chuck with salt and oil and broil about 15 minutes until browned. Reserve the tray juices.
- 8
Sauté the mushrooms, carrots, and pearl onions for 5 minutes, then set aside.
- 9
Melt the butter in the pot and whisk in the flour until smooth.
- 10
Whisk the beef stock, stout, and gelatin together and add to the pot along with the beef base, tomato paste, and Worcestershire. Bring to a simmer.
- 11
Add the browned beef and tray juices along with the bay leaves and thyme. Cover and bake at 300 °F for 90 minutes.
- 12
Stir in the sautéed vegetables and the halved potatoes and bake 45–60 minutes more, stirring halfway through.
- 13
Season aggressively with salt and stir in the frozen peas. Cool 30 minutes, then chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Skim the fat, reheat, and serve with bread.
- 14
BEEF BOURGUIGNON: Broil the beef chunks 15 minutes until browned.
- 15
In a Dutch oven, combine the red wine with the onion, carrot, celery, halved garlic head, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes until reduced by about three-quarters.
- 16
Stir the gelatin into the beef stock and add it to the pot along with the tomato paste, beef base, and the beef with its fond. Tuck cheesecloth around the beef.
- 17
Bake at 300 °F for 2 1/2–3 hours until tender. Cool, then chill overnight.
- 18
The next day, skim the fat, strain the liquid, and reduce it 30–45 minutes until glossy.
- 19
Sauté the mushrooms 7–8 minutes in oil with salt. Add the fresh sliced carrots to the sauce and cook 15 minutes, then add the mushrooms and beef and reduce 10 minutes more until glazey.
- 20
Serve the beef and sauce over mashed potatoes.
Creator's notes
All three stews are built the same way: broil the beef instead of pan-searing, bloom gelatin in the stock for body, and braise low at 300 °F. Each is better made a day ahead — cool, chill overnight, skim the solidified fat, then reheat and re-season before serving.
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