EN DE FR ES PT IT
Classic Bawaria Beef Gulasch with Rooibos-Smoked Paprika, Red Wine & Buttered Chive Spaetzle
Recipe

Classic Bawaria Beef Gulasch with Rooibos-Smoked Paprika, Red Wine & Buttered Chive Spaetzle

Dinner • South Africa

Slow-braised beef gulasch built on caramelised onions, rooibos-smoked paprika and red wine, finished with a glossy pan sauce and served over buttered chive spaetzle.

Why smarter

Deep flavour comes from patient onion caramelisation and controlled paprika blooming (for aroma without bitterness), while a modest portion of spaetzle keeps the dish balanced and dinner-appropriate.

Chef tip

Rooibos-smoked paprika can catch and turn bitter—take the pot off the heat before adding paprika, then return to a gentle simmer after deglazing with wine and stock.

Soft line

Serve with a crisp green salad and a squeeze of lemon to brighten the richness.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Beef chuck (stewing beef), cut into 4 cm cubes 900.000 g beef chuck
2 Fine salt 2.000 tsp salt divided
3 Freshly ground black pepper 1.000 tsp black pepper
4 Cake flour, for dusting beef 2.000 tbsp cake flour
5 Canola oil 2.000 tbsp canola oil
6 Unsalted butter 70.000 g butter divided
7 Onions, thinly sliced 600.000 g onion about 3 large
8 Garlic, finely grated or crushed 4.000 cloves garlic
9 Rooibos-smoked paprika 3.000 tbsp rooibos-smoked paprika sweet-style smoked paprika
10 Hot paprika or cayenne (optional, for gentle heat) 0.500 tsp hot paprika optional
11 Caraway seeds, lightly crushed 1.000 tsp caraway seeds
12 Tomato paste 2.000 tbsp tomato paste
13 Dry red wine (South African Pinotage or Shiraz works well) 250.000 ml red wine
14 Beef stock 600.000 ml beef stock low-sodium if possible
15 Bay leaves 2.000 bay leaves
16 Fresh thyme 4.000 sprigs thyme
17 Red wine vinegar 2.000 tsp red wine vinegar to finish
18 Crème fraîche or sour cream 120.000 g creme fraiche for serving
19 Fresh lemon zest 1.000 tsp lemon zest to brighten the spaetzle
20 Cake flour (for spaetzle batter) 250.000 g cake flour
21 Eggs 3.000 eggs
22 Milk 180.000 ml milk
23 Nutmeg, freshly grated 0.250 tsp nutmeg
24 Fresh chives, finely sliced 20.000 g chives plus extra to garnish

Method

  1. Season the beef with 1 1/2 tsp salt and the black pepper. Dust lightly with the 2 tbsp flour, shaking off excess.
  2. Heat a heavy pot over medium-high heat with the canola oil and 20 g of the butter. Brown the beef in batches until deeply caramelised; don’t crowd the pot. Remove to a plate.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until deeply golden and jammy (this is the flavour base of the gulasch).
  4. Stir in the garlic, caraway and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Take the pot briefly off the heat, add the rooibos-smoked paprika (and hot paprika if using) and stir for 20–30 seconds to bloom.
  5. Return to the heat and deglaze with the red wine, scraping up the fond. Simmer 3–4 minutes to reduce slightly, then add the beef stock, bay leaves and thyme.
  6. Return beef (and any juices) to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover slightly ajar, and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and the sauce is glossy. Adjust with a splash of stock if it tightens too much.
  7. Make the spaetzle: In a bowl whisk flour, 1/2 tsp salt and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs and milk to form a thick, stretchy batter. Rest 10 minutes.
  8. Bring a wide pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Push batter through a spaetzle press/colander (or cut small ribbons from a board) into the water. Cook 2–3 minutes until they float and are tender; lift out with a slotted spoon to a tray.
  9. Finish spaetzle: In a large pan melt the remaining 50 g butter. Add spaetzle and toss 2–3 minutes to coat and lightly toast at the edges. Off heat, toss through chives and lemon zest; season to taste.
  10. Finish the gulasch: Remove bay and thyme stems. Stir in red wine vinegar for lift and adjust salt. For a refined texture, you can briefly whisk the sauce or blend a small ladle of onions and return it to the pot.
  11. To serve, spoon buttered chive spaetzle into warm bowls, top with gulasch and a quenelle of crème fraîche. Garnish with extra chives and a light dusting of smoked paprika.