History

Czech goulash diverged from the Hungarian original in the 19th century, becoming a stew rather than a soup. Bohemian and Moravian pubs thickened the gravy with onions, served it with bread dumplings rather than pasta, and added marjoram. Every pivnice cooks its own version; U Fleku's has poured beside the dark Flek lager for a century. The Czech tradition is to use beef shin or chuck, never veal as in the Hungarian Borjugulyas, and to break it down into shreds rather than keeping the chunks intact. Garnished with a swipe of mustard, slices of raw red onion and fresh bread to mop up.

Common allergens: Gluten, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 3 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg beef chuck or shin, cut into 3cm cubes
  • 4 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 600g)
  • 100g pork lard or 4 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 1 tbsp hot Hungarian paprika (or 1 tsp cayenne)
  • 1 tsp ground caraway, 2 tsp dried marjoram
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 300ml dark Czech beer (Kozel cerny)
  • 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp plain flour, mixed with 4 tbsp cold water to make a slurry
  • To serve: Czech bread dumplings (knedliky, sliced 1cm thick)
  • 2 tbsp grainy mustard
  • 1/2 raw red onion finely sliced

Method

  1. Heat the lard in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat; sear the beef in batches until well browned all over, 3 minutes per batch. Lift out.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, add the chopped onion to the same pot with a pinch of salt, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until deeply caramelised and reduced to about a third of the original volume. This is the structural step; do not rush it.
  3. Stir in the paprika, caraway and marjoram off the heat (paprika burns fast), then immediately the garlic and tomato puree.
  4. Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Pour in the stock and beer, add the bay leaves, salt and pepper.
  5. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 2 hours 30 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes, until the beef shreds easily with a spoon.
  6. Lift out the beef pieces, shred half with two forks, and return all the meat to the pot.
  7. Whisk the flour slurry into the goulash, bring back to a simmer, cook 5 minutes uncovered until the gravy thickens to coat a spoon. Adjust salt and pepper.
  8. Ladle into deep bowls over five or six slices of bread dumpling, top with a swipe of mustard, a few rings of raw red onion and a final pinch of marjoram.

Tip from the editors. The onion-to-beef ratio is the heart of Czech goulash; the onions must equal at least half the weight of the beef and must be cooked dark gold before paprika goes in. If your goulash is too thin, the onions were not cooked enough.

Where to eat gulas s knedliky

Gulas s knedliky in Prague

U Fleku ★ 4.0

Czech€€nove-mestoDaily 10:00-23:00Until 23:00 nightly

U Fleku's eight beer halls stay loud until 23:00. The 1499 brewery's dark Flek 13 is the late-night pour; the kitchen runs full Czech mains until last orders.

Try: Dark Flek 13, goulash, pork knee

Tip: Avoid the Friday and Saturday late shifts unless you booked a hall in advance.

Kremencova 183/11, 110 00 Praha 1

Lokal Dlouhaaa ★ 4.4

Czech€€stare-mestoMon-Sat 11:00-24:00, Sun 11:00-22:00Until 00:00 Mon-Wed, 01:00 Thu-Sat, 22:00 Sun

Lokal Dlouhaaa stays open to 01:00 weekend nights, pouring tank Pilsner and serving classic Czech pub food until last orders. Located in Stare Mesto.

Try: Tank Pilsner, Czech pub menu

Tip: Last food order is 30 minutes before close; the smazeny syr is the late dish.

Dlouha 731/33, 110 00 Praha 1

U Medvidku ★ 4.0

BreweryStrong Czech lager, X-Beer 33€€stare-mestoMon-Wed 11:30-23:00, Thu-Sat 11:30-23:30, Sun 12:00-22:00Daily 11:30-23:00

U Medvidku has poured beer since 1466 in the same Old Town building. X-Beer 33 is a one-pour experience; do the standard 12-degree alongside.

Tip: X-Beer 33 is a one-pour experience; do the standard 12-degree alongside.

Na Perstyne 345/7, 110 00 Praha 1

Lokal Hamburk ★ 4.3

Cocktail barCzech beer hall€€€karlinDaily 11:00-23:00

Lokal Hamburk in Karlin is the river-harbour-themed Ambiente Lokal, the most neighbourhood-feeling of the chain. Order the tank pilsner urquell.

Signature drink: Tank Pilsner Urquell

Food: Czech pub menu

Tip: The terrace seats in summer go fast; book ahead Friday onward.

Sokolovska 55, 186 00 Praha 8

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