Beef Goulash with Dumplings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 2 large onions thinly sliced sliced ( 4 cups onions)
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 1 Tbsp garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds toasted
• 1.5 tablespoons hungarian paprika sweet
• 1 teaspoon spicy hungarian paprika 
• 2 tablespoons marjoram dried fresh minced (or 1 Tbsp of )
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves dried fresh minced (or)
• 1  bay leaf 
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• 4 cups chicken stock see 
• 2.5 pounds chuck roast trimmed cut into 2-inch cubes ( of excess fat)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 2 cups cake flour 
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.8 cup milk 
• 2 tablespoons butter melted

Equipment

• frying pan
• whisk
• toothpicks

Directions

1. Cook the onions, add garlic and caraway:
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat.
3. Add the onions, sprinkle with sugar, and cook, stirring often, until the onions are browned and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
4. If the onions at any point look like they are drying out in the pan, lower the heat.
5. Add the minced garlic and ground toasted caraway seeds and cook a minute more.
6. Sprinkle with the sweet and spicy paprikas and toss to coat. Stir in the marjoram, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for another minute, until fragrant.
7. in the tomato paste.
8. Add the vinegar and stock and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
9. Add the cubed beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring the whole mixture to a boil on high heat, then lower the heat to low to maintain a simmer.
10. Cover and cook until the beef is falling apart tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
11. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
12. Make the dumplings: To prepare the dumplings, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
13. Combine with the milk and melted butter, mixing lightly.
14. Drop dumplings into stew: After the stew has cooked until tender in step 4, drop the dumpling batter by (heaping) teaspoonfuls into the simmering stew. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
15. Once you have covered the pan, do not uncover while the dumplings are cooking! In order for them to be light and fluffy, they must steam. If you uncover the pan, the steam will escape and the dumplings will boil instead.
16. After 15 minutes, test the dumplings with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the dumplings are done.