Czech Republic Comfort Food Recipe for Devilishly Spicy Toast

Ingredients for 6 servings

Scrumptiously textured Czech comfort food at its finest, enjoyable at home or away, in the Czech Republic's extraordinary pubs.

meat mixture

• 3 Tablespoons oil
  • preference:  sunflower
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium red or yellow onion, chopped or thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • Or:  1/2 teaspoon ground caraway
• 2 Tablespoons hot or medium paprika
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cup (= 12 ounces) tomato paste

garnish

• 1 cup grated Edam or Cheddar cheese
• 1 medium size chili pepper, sliced along width as rings

fried bread

• 2 Tablespoons oil
  • preference:  olive or sunflower
• 6 slices dark rye bread (or bread of choice)
• 1 teaspoon of thyme

1. Set burner to medium-high and heat oil.

• Add garlic and onion and sauté briefly.  

2. Lower heat to medium, and add ground beef. Stir frequently until pinkness just begins to turn brown.

• Sprinkle seasonings (caraway, paprika, black pepper, salt) evenly across meat.
• Add tomato paste and combine all ingredients well.
• Continue simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned.
• (Usually total cooking time is about 20 minutes or less.)

3. Reduce heat to low to keep meat mixture on light simmer while bread is frying. 

4. Heat oil for frying in large skillet over medium heat.

• When heated, begin adding bread, two or more at a time.
• Allow about 1 minute per side.
• Sprinkle thyme onto top side just before removing each slice from skillet.
• Set slices on oven-proof serving platter or on baking sheet.

5. Remove meat skillet from burner and scoop mixture in a thick mound onto each slice.

• Top with grated cheese, and garnish with chili pepper rings.

6. Set on top rack of oven; broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Serve hot.

Servings:  6.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Koliba Czech and Slovack Restaurant, Collingwood, northeastern Melbourne, southeast Australia: Alpha (avlxyz), CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/10559879@N00/4567415069/

Chili beef in rich paprika spiked sauce atop rye toast, and smothered with cheddar cheese.: Alpha (avlxyz), CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/4567415491/