Wiener Saftgulasch

Onions and beef, in equal parts and braised for hours, until the onions collapse completely and form a dark, glossy sauce with sweet paprika. The Wiener Saftgulasch needs no thickener — only time and patience.

Beef & Game Category

25 MIN Prep time

180 MIN Cook time

4 people Servings

Preparation

Roast the onions

Heat the lard and roast the onions over medium heat for 20 minutes until golden brown, sweet and soft.

Stir in the paprika

Take the pot off the heat, stir in the tomato paste and paprika — never let it burn, or it turns bitter — and deglaze at once with vinegar and a little stock.

Add the meat

Add the garlic, caraway and lemon zest, put in the meat and just cover with the remaining stock.

Braise slowly

Braise, covered, over low heat for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the onions have collapsed and the meat is meltingly tender.

Finish the sauce

Take off the lid and reduce the sauce, uncovered, for 15 minutes to a creamy, glossy consistency. Season with salt.

Why this wine?

The Gigue meets the dark paprika sauce with bright, juicy fruit and lively structure; its fine tannin takes up the fat of the braised meat and keeps the hearty dish fresh.

Good to know

Tips & insights

Use as much onion as meat, long sweating turns the onions into the smooth base of the sauce.
Stir in the paprika only over reduced heat and deglaze at once with liquid, otherwise it turns bitter.
Simmer the goulash long and quietly, until the meat is tender and the onions have collapsed.
Caraway, lemon zest and garlic give the typical Viennese note, add them finely chopped near the end.
No flour is needed to bind, the collapsed onions give the sauce body on their own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which wine goes with Wiener Saftgulasch?

A robust red with firm structure and fresh acidity that takes up the fat of the braised meat and keeps the dark paprika sauce light. We drink our Gigue from LaSuite aux Conseillans with it, a Merlot-driven red with polished tannins that ages mostly in concrete and amphora. Its acidity refreshes the palate between bites.

Why so many onions?

In Wiener Saftgulasch equal parts onion and meat form the base. The onions collapse completely during long braising and bind the sauce entirely without flour. Take your time when sweating them, until they are golden brown and soft, that decides the colour and depth of the sauce.

How does the meat become really tender?

Use marbled braising meat such as beef shin and cook it long over very gentle heat. Only after two to three hours does the connective tissue turn soft and juicy. Never let the goulash boil hard, otherwise the meat turns dry rather than tender and the sauce loses its balance.

Which side dish is classic?

Traditionally you serve fresh white bread or rolls to soak up the sauce. Boiled potatoes, Spätzle or Nockerl also suit it well. A fried egg on top makes it a Fiakergulasch. Keep the side deliberately simple, so the strong, long-braised paprika sauce clearly stays at the centre of the plate.

The wine to pair