AB's Crockpot Goulash (Slow Cooker)

AB cooks this American goulash native in the crockpot. The only off pot work is browning 2 lb of 96/4 lean beef mince with onion, green bell pepper and chopped garlic on the hob, which keeps the meat from steaming grey in the slow cooker. Everything else is dump and go: tomato paste, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire, tinned mushrooms with their liquid, three cups of his homemade pasta sauce, a 28 oz tin of diced tomatoes and half a cup of water for a thick sauce. The pasta is cooked separately and folded in for the last 20 minutes on high so it does not turn to mush.

Ingredients

• 0.9 kglean beef mince, 96% lean, 4% fat

• 1large green bell pepper, large diced
• 1.5medium onion, diced
• 3garlic cloves, roughly chopped, a little bigger than mince

• 720 mlhomemade pasta sauce
• 794 gtinned diced tomatoes
• tomato paste
• tinned mushrooms, with the liquid from the tin

• Italian seasoning
• Worcestershire sauce
• kosher salt, a couple of pinches in the pan, plus more in the pot to taste

• 120 mlwater

• dried pasta, cooked separately, drained (add late)

• spring onions, sliced (add late)
• grated cheese (add late)

Method

1. Put a heavy pan over medium high heat and add the 2 lb of lean beef mince. Let it come up to temperature, then break it open with a wooden spoon as it browns.

   ~5 min

2. Once just over half the pink is gone, stir in the diced onion. Add the diced green bell pepper next.

   ~4 min

3. When the pink is completely gone, stir in the chopped garlic and a couple of pinches of kosher salt. Cook briefly so the garlic does not burn.

   ~1 min

4. Take the pan off the heat and let the beef rest. With this lean a mince there should be very little fat to drain, but drain off any pooled liquid before tipping it into the crockpot.

   ~2 min

5. Tip the browned beef and vegetables into the crockpot. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning straight on top and give it a quick stir so the dry herb is mixed in by itself.

   ~1 min

6. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and the tinned mushrooms with all of their liquid. Pour in the homemade pasta sauce and the 28 oz tin of diced tomatoes.

   ~2 min

7. Pour in 120 ml (half a cup) of water and give the lot a good stir. If you want a thinner goulash, go up to 1 to 1.5 cups of water. Add a couple of pinches of kosher salt.

   ~1 min

8. Put the lid on and cook on Low for 4 to 5 hours or on High for 2 hours.

   ~240 min

9. Near the end of the cook, boil the pasta separately to packet instructions and drain. Stir the cooked pasta into the crockpot.

   ~10 min

10. Put the lid back on and cook for another 20 minutes on High to let the pasta take on the sauce.

    ~20 min

11. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Ladle into bowls and top with sliced spring onions and grated cheese if you like.

    ~2 min

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