Goulasch and Spatzle

Oh how I love German food! (Well, I guess goulasch is technically Hungarian...) We made way too much goulasch and spatzle for dinner tonight, and then ate way too much, and still have left overs for lunch this week! Here are the recipes I've more or less settled on after making them many times and changing/perfecting them with each batch.

Goulasch
1-2 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 lbs stew beef
1 cup chopped onion
2+ Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp paprika
1 garlic clove, crushed
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp caraway
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup sour cream

For more tender meat: Heat oil in a large skillet. Add meat, and brown. Add enough water to cover, and simmer, covered, for up to one hour. Add a dash of salt and pepper if desired. Remove meat from skillet and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the onions and paprika. Saute until onions are soft but not browned. Add the garlic, lemon zest and juice, caraway, marjoram, water, salt and pepper. Stir well. Add the meat and tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer gently, covered, until the meat is tender (at least 30 minutes).

Add the sour cream and stir well. If the sauce is too thick, add milk or water to the desired consistency. Return to a boil, then serve over dumplings or spatzle.

Spatzle
3 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs
2-3 cups milk
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of nutmeg
2-3 Tbsp butter

Mix together all ingredients except butter. Start with 2 cups of milk, and add more if dough is too thick. It should form a very wet, soft dough. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set the spatzle press or colander on top of the pot, and begin pressing about 1 cup of the dough through.

Cook the spatzle in batches, allowing each batch to boil for about 30 seconds. Remove the cooked spatzle from the pot with a slotted spoon.

Once all of the spatzle is cooked, melt the butter in a large skillet. Toss the cooked spatzle in the melted butter and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Variation: Kase Spatzle
After cooking the spatzle, cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with a layer of spatzle. Sprinkle grated cheese, salt and pepper, then another layer of spatzle, etc. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted. Top with onion slices fried in butter.