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Classic Bavarian Beef Gulasch with Rooibos-Smoked Paprika, Red Wine and Buttered Chive Spätzle
Recipe

Classic Bavarian Beef Gulasch with Rooibos-Smoked Paprika, Red Wine and Buttered Chive Spätzle

Dinner • South Africa

A restaurant-style take on Bavarian gulasch tailored for South Africa: beef shin braised with rooibos-smoked paprika, red wine and beef stock until silky, served over tender spätzle glossed in butter and chives.

Why smarter

Built for depth without heaviness: the sauce gets body from long braising and onion reduction rather than flour-heavy thickening, while rooibos-smoked paprika adds aromatic smokiness without extra salt. Spätzle provides a lighter, elegant starch than mash, with portion-friendly richness from measured butter.

Chef tip

Paprika turns bitter if fried too hard. Pull the pot off the heat before adding paprika, then return to a gentle simmer—your sauce stays sweet, brick-red and glossy.

Soft line

Serve with a simple rocket-and-lemon salad and a glass of the same red wine used in the pot.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Beef shin or chuck, cut into 4 cm cubes 900.000 g beef shin
2 Fine salt 2.000 tsp salt plus more to taste
3 Freshly ground black pepper 1.000 tsp black pepper
4 Cake flour (for dusting) 2.000 tbsp flour
5 Sunflower or canola oil 2.000 tbsp cooking oil
6 Unsalted butter 40.000 g butter divided
7 Onions, thinly sliced 450.000 g onion about 3 medium
8 Garlic, finely chopped 4.000 cloves garlic
9 Tomato paste 2.000 tbsp tomato paste
10 Rooibos-smoked paprika 2.000 tbsp smoked paprika use sweet smoked paprika if needed
11 Sweet paprika 1.000 tbsp sweet paprika
12 Caraway seeds, lightly crushed 1.000 tsp caraway seeds
13 Bay leaves 2.000 bay leaves
14 Dry red wine (Cape blend/Shiraz works well) 300.000 ml red wine
15 Beef stock 450.000 ml beef stock low-sodium if possible
16 Red wine vinegar 1.000 tbsp red wine vinegar
17 Sour cream or crème fraîche 120.000 g crème fraîche for serving
18 Fresh parsley, finely chopped 2.000 tbsp parsley for finishing
19 Eggs 3.000 eggs for spätzle
20 Cake flour (or 00 flour) 250.000 g flour for spätzle
21 Milk 125.000 ml milk for spätzle batter
22 Ground nutmeg 0.250 tsp nutmeg
23 Fine salt (for spätzle batter and cooking water) 1.000 tsp salt plus salt for boiling water
24 Unsalted butter 40.000 g butter to finish spätzle
25 Fresh chives, finely sliced 3.000 tbsp chives

Method

  1. Prep and season: Pat beef dry. Season with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper, then dust lightly with flour.
  2. Brown the beef: Heat oil and 20 g butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches until deeply caramelised; transfer to a plate.
  3. Build the base: Reduce heat to medium. Add onions with a pinch of salt and cook 12–15 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  4. Paprika in 4 ways (gulasch technique): (1) Bloom paprika gently—pull pot briefly off the heat, stir in rooibos-smoked paprika, sweet paprika and crushed caraway. (2) Add tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to darken slightly. (3) Deglaze with red wine, scraping browned bits; simmer 3–4 minutes to reduce by about a third. (4) Braise low and slow—return beef and any juices to the pot, add stock and bay leaves, bring to a gentle simmer.
  5. Braise: Cover with a lid slightly ajar and simmer very gently 1.5–2 hours (or 160°C oven) until the beef is spoon-tender. Stir occasionally; add a splash of water/stock if needed.
  6. Refine the sauce: Remove bay leaves. Stir in red wine vinegar. Simmer uncovered 5–10 minutes to a glossy, nappé consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
  7. Make the spätzle batter: In a bowl whisk eggs, milk, 1 tsp salt and nutmeg. Add flour and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and elastic; rest 10 minutes.
  8. Cook spätzle: Bring a large pot of salted water to a lively simmer. Press batter through a spätzle maker/colander into the water. Cook 2–3 minutes until pieces float and look set; scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain.
  9. Butter and finish: Warm 40 g butter in a wide pan, add spätzle and toss to coat. Fold in chives; season lightly.
  10. Plate elegantly: Spoon buttered chive spätzle into warm bowls, ladle gulasch over. Finish with a quenelle/dollop of crème fraîche, a little parsley and a final dusting of smoked paprika if desired.