CookingWithGeorgeAndFriends.com

Week 102 Recipe

AMERICAN CHOP SUEY (also known as Goulash)

TOOLS • Cutting Board • Knife • Colander • Dutch Oven   INGREDIENTS • 3 cups elbow macaroni • 3 tbsp vegetable oil • 2 lbs  90 percent lean ground beef • 1 large onion, chopped fine • 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded   and chopped fine • 2 celery ribs, chopped fine • 2 tbsp tomato paste • 4 garlic cloves, minced • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes • 1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes • 1 cup water • ½ cup Parmesan cheese (plus extra   for serving) • Salt & Pepper

PREPARATION: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tbsp salt and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Drain again and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp oil in now empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until all liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer meat to bowl. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in now empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper and celery and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, appx 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until rust-colored, appx 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, appx 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, water and cooked ground beef. Bring to simmer and cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, appx 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in reserved pasta, cover and let sit until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with additional Parmesan separately. HINTS: Under cooking the pasta and shocking it with cold water and then let it finish cooking in the sauce off heat is a sure way to avoid mushy macaroni. Using the 90% lean ground meat will eliminate the “grease” in the dish. Leave the brown bits left in the pot after cooking the meat and stir them in when you saute the vegetables for added flavor.