serves 4-ish
1 kg stewing beef in 1″ cubes
4 big/spanish onions, chopped
4-6 smoked streaky bacon slices- diced, or a few lardons.
3-4 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika
salt, pepper to taste
1 green pepper, diced
1 tomato
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp sugar
oil to fry beef with
Seal the beef a few cubes at a time to get some colour on it without drying it out. keep the beef in a bowl until ready to add it back in. (a spot of water to deglaze the pan in between batches works, save the water with the beef.
Fry off the bacon/lardons then add the onion till the onions are soft. Take off the heat for a couple of minutes and add the paprika, and browned beef + deglaze. Mix it all up.
Add enough water to cover the meat (not too much – the consistency you want the sauce) Add the diced green pepper, the whole tomato (it melts, along with the onions and pepper – no point dicing). Add the salt & pepper too – but don’t over do it, you can season it fully at the end.
Simmer covered on very low heat for about 2-3 hours. Check, every now and then that it’s not getting too dry or sticking on the bottom. Once its cooked up, add some lemon juice for a spot of tang, salt/pepper to taste and a teaspoon of sugar if needed.
You can cook dumplings on the top if you like. Serve with mash, a dollop of sour cream, and a chopped green herb of your choice.