SLOW BRAISED BEEF WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA AND MUSHROOMS

600 gr. beef suitable for braising (e.g chuck)
300 gr. white mushrooms
20 g dried mushrooms
1 onion
1 leek
2 cloves of garlic
1 carrot
800 ml. hot water
100 ml. tomato juice
30 ml. olive oil
20 ml. butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1½ tablespoon of sweet, smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of sugar
100 g yogurt
150 g homemade noodles or tagliatelle
Freshly ground pepper
Sea salt
Fresh coriander or parsley for serving

Chop the leek, onion, garlic and carrots into similar pieces. Put the dried mushrooms in hot water to soften.

Pat dry thoroughly the beef with paper towels and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour and mix to go everywhere. Saute the beef in olive oil, on a high heat until it gets colored from all sides and transfer it in a saucepan.
In the same pan saute the vegetables and then transfer them into the pot. In the pot, add paprika, bay leaf, sugar and pepper.

Place the pot on high heat and once it has warmed up, add the tomato juice and the mushroom broth. Simmer for about 2 hours while checking the liquids.

Cut the mushrooms up, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour and saute with butter until they are softened and get a nice color.
Add the mushrooms and noodles to the pot. Check the liquids and, if necessary, add 150ml of warm water. Continue boiling for 10 more minutes.

Remove from the heat, add yogurt and mix. Serve with toasted bread and fresh coriander or parsley.

Notes
- If you don't eat meat, you can make the recipe with only small agaricus mushrooms cut in the middle
- If you do not want to use pasta, skip them. Instead of tagliatelle you can also use Asian noodles
- Check the fluids of the food occasionally, you need to have a thick, rich sauce in the end
- If you do not have dried mushrooms, use vegetable broth

Eva Monochari

Food Blogger