Smoked Paprika Goulash

around 1lb shoulder steak trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 level tablespoon hot smoked paprika
1 level tablespoon sweet, mild smoked paprika, plus a little extra to sprinkle
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 level tablespoons plain flour
3 bay leaves
1-2 tins of chopped italian tomatoes: see if you think you need more after 1 tin: you want a fairly liquid sauce which thickens & reduces as it cooks
2 medium red peppers
salt and black pepper

To serve:
small tub of sour cream oven at gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C)

Begin by heating the oil in a largeish casserole over a highish heat until it is sizzling hot. Then brown the cubes of beef on all sides, cooking a few at a time. They need to be a good, deep nutty brown colour. As they brown, transfer them to a plate, using a draining spoon.

turn heat down to medium, stir in the onions and cook them for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to brown and caramelise at the edges. Then stir in the garlic and return the meat to the casserole. Next, sprinkle in the flour and paprika and give everything a stir to soak up the juices. Add the bay leaves and the tomatoes, and season well with salt and freshly milled black pepper. Let it all come slowly up to simmering point. Then cover the casserole with a tight-fitting lid and transfer it to the middle shelf of the oven to cook very slowly 2 hours.

Cut the peppers into strips roughly measuring 1 x 2 inches. Then, when the 2 hours are up, stir the chopped peppers into the goulash, replace the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Just before serving, take the casserole out of the oven, let it stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the soured cream to give a lovely marbled, creamy effect. Finally, sprinkle over a little more paprika, and serve straight from the casserole.

we have this with brown rice & red cabbage