Hungarian Goulash (Kettle Gulyas)

This is Pam Wilcox Kultsar's recipe from an authentic source, her husband.  I have known Pam since school days.  I thank her for allowing me to share this wonderful recipe with you. Even Pam didn't do all the things such as the beef heart, but I have included directions in the recipe as she received it.  I have made my own revisions and notes in italics.

Hungarian Goulash (Kettle Gulyas)

8 servings best made outdoors over an open fire! (I made it in a ceramic covered iron Dutch oven on an induction cooktop.)

• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lard (I used butter instead.)
• 2 1/2 lbs. beef chuck or round cut in 3/4 inch cubes
• (If you are brave, 1/2 pound beef heart cut to 3/4 inch cubes) Pam never used this (I didn't use any beef heart either.)
• 1 garlic clove
• pinch caraway seeds (I used 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds.)
• salt (I used 1 teaspoon when browning the meat, and added 1 1/4 teaspoons salt to the liquid.)
• 2 tablespoons paprika (sweet) (Be sure to use Hungarian Sweet Paprika because there are several kinds of paprika.)  
• 1 medium ripe tomato
• 2 green peppers
• 1 pound potatoes
• Little dumplings (spaetzle) optional (I did use the spaetzle.)
• 16 oz. sour cream

1. Melt lard (butter) in heavy 6-8 quart Dutch oven.  Sauté onions in lard (butter). Heat should be low so the onions don't brown.
2. When onions are glossy, add beef cubes, stir 10 minutes, sautéing the meat with the onions.
3. Meanwhile, chop and crush the garlic with the caraway seeds and a little salt; use the flat side of a heavy knife.
4. Take kettle from heat. stir in paprika and the garlic.  Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon. Immediately after paprika is absorbed, add 2 1/2 quarts of warm water (cold water toughens the meat). The paprika should be browned slightly be careful not to burn.
5. Replace covered kettle over low heat and cook for about 1 hour.
6. While cooking, peel the tomato and cut into 1 inch pieces. Core green peppers and slice into rings. (I cut into 3/4 inch pieces per Pam's advice.)  Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4 inch dice.
7. After meat has been braised for about 1 hour, add the tomato, green peppers and enough water to give a soup consistency. add a little salt (this is where I added 1 1/4 teaspoon). Simmer slowly for another 30 min.
8. Add potatoes and cook the gulyas till potatoes are done. Adjust salt.  Add hot cherry pepper pods if you want a spicy hot gulyas (I did not add hot cherry pepper pods.)
9. Cook the spaetzle in the gulyas if you want, but optional (I added the spaetzle at the same time I added the potatoes.)
10. You can stir in sour cream, very tasty this way, but not traditional.  (I put a dollop on the top of one bowl, but later added the rest of a 16 oz. container of sour cream to the remainder of the gulyas per Pam's advice).