Authentic Wiener Saftgulasch Recipe: Viennese Beef Stew
Wiener Saftgulasch is a traditional Austrian dish hailing from Vienna. It is a rich and hearty beef stew known for its succulent and tender meat cooked in a flavorful gravy. The name "Saftgulasch" refers to the delicious, juicy sauce that coats the tender pieces of beef.
Servings 4people
Prep Time 35 minutesmins
Cook Time 2 hourshrs
Total Time 2 hourshrs35 minutesmins
Ingredients
800gbeefmixed meat
3onions
3-4tbspred bell peppersfinely chopped
2tspred cayenne pepper
50mlwhite wine vinegar
2tbspconcentrated tomato paste
2beef stock cubes or you can prepare your own beef stock
1.5lwater
3clovesgarlic
2-3tbspsunflower oil
2tspcumin powder
3bay leaves
2tbspmarjoram
1lemon zest – thinly peeled
2tspfreshly ground pepper
saltto taste
Semmelknoedel – dumplings:
4-5slicesdry white bread
2eggs
3tbspsemolina
3tbspsemi-hard cheesegrated
300mlmilk
3tbspflour
1/2tsppowdered cloves
1tspcumin
3-4tbspchopped parsley
1/2onion
sunflower oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Cut the beef in small cubes. In a large pot, heat enough oil to cover the bottom. When the oil is hot, add the meat in batches. The reason is that if you add all the meat at once, it will release water, and the meat will stew instead of frying. So, fry it in two or three batches. Fry each batch for approximately 3 minutes.
Set aside, cover and keep warm.
Using the same pot and oil from fried meat, add the chopped onion and fry over medium heat for 10 minutes until it achieves a lovely light golden color. Be cautious not to burn the onions and stir frequently. Ensure they are fried for no less than 10 minutes.
Add the tomato puree and cumin to the pot and fry for another 30 seconds. Return the meat to the pot and stir. Add the beef stock and vinegar.
Now, incorporate all the remaining ingredients except for the lemon zest and garlic. Stir well. Cook on low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes, adding extra water if needed during the cooking process.
In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the finely chopped lemon zest and garlic. To obtain the zest, use a potato peeler to remove the lemon's thin skin, ensuring there are no white parts, and finely chop it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the meat is done, it should easily fall apart when pressed with a fork. The sauce should be thick; if it is too thick, add water and boil for 2-3 minutes. If it is too watery, avoid adding flour to thicken it. Instead, extend the cooking time without covering the pot.
Allow the dish to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Dumplings
Cut the bread into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Pour some warm milk (not hot) over the bread and let it soak for 15-20 minutes.
In a pan, fry the chopped onion and add it to the bread and milk mixture. Stir well.
Add the eggs, parsley, grated cheese, cumin, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
Gradually add semolina and continue mixing. Add flour until the mixture is thick enough to shape with your hands. If the mixture is soft, you can use a spoon to portion it into boiling water. If you prefer round dumplings, ensure the mixture is quite thick.
Use a spoon or shape the mixture into balls and carefully drop them into salted boiling water using a large deep pot. Once the dumplings rise to the surface, cook for an additional 2 minutes, then remove them from the water and keep them warm.
Notes
The stew recipe serves around 5 people. The estimated calorie count provided is per serving and does not include dumplings. Total calorie count for the entire batch of dumplings is approximately 1200 calories. Keep in mind that the actual number of dumplings may vary depending on the size and shaping of each dumpling. I managed to create a batch of 20 dumplings. So, each dumpling is about 60 calories.Please remember the calorie count may vary depending on serving sizes and specific ingredient brands used.