How long does it take to make Seared meat stew?

Pulled meat: sear 3–4 minutes per side and cook in the liquids about 4 hours, until a piece falls apart easily with two forks; shred all the meat into thin strands and return it to the pot with the liquids.

50 minTotal

12 minActive time

38 minSetting

Step by Step

#	What to do	How long
1	Cut the meat into large chunks	3 min
2	Heat the oil in a wide pot and brown the meat on all sides. Remove to a plate	3 min
3	Add the paprika and fry 30 seconds	30 sec
4	Add the stock and bring to a boil	5 min
5	Return the meat to the pot and season with salt and black pepper	1 min
6	Turn down to low, cover and simmer 35–40 minutes	38 min

How to Tell It's Done

until fragrant
until the meat soft

Tips

Brown the meat in batches, without crowding: in a crowded pot it stews in its own juices instead of searing.
Paprika burns quickly and turns bitter: half a minute in the oil is enough, then move straight on to the next step.
Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.

Common Mistakes

What you brown (meat, patties, schnitzel) goes into hot oil: in lukewarm oil it soaks it up and comes out greasy. For onion and garlic that you soften, oil heated over medium or low heat is enough; do not wait for it to smoke.
A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.

More Ways

Per kilo of meat, about 3 tablespoons sweet paprika and about 3 cups of stock and tomatoes; potatoes and carrots go in later.
The paprika goes in after the onion and before the liquids, and liquid is added right away so it doesn't burn.
A cut for long cooking is baked 4–5 hours at 160°C (320°F) and then pulled apart.

The full recipe: Seared meat stew (goulash) →