Blast from my childhood.
Beef Stroganoff has fallen in and out of style over the years, but it’s always been a staple in my family. It’s taken years to perfect the
recipe, and has recently evolved by replacing the egg noodles with vegetable ‘noodles‘. A couple of years ago, while doing some consumer recipe testing for America’s Test Kitchen, a Paderno Vegetable Spiralizer was offered at a highly discounted price. It’s been one of the best kitchen gadgets ever! I use it frequently to substitute pasta and create some beautiful plates.
There are a few ways to make Stroganoff, mostly with meat substitutions and sometimes removing the dairy. However, the luscious dish is never as good as the original basics; beef, mushrooms, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, onions, garlic and a rich béchamel with sour cream.
The good beef is the key to this recipe. Most recipes recommend beef tenderloin, but a good and cheaper alternative is top sirloin. It’s lean and easy to find. Always cut the meat in thin strips against the grain.
Classic Beef Stroganoff
1 cup onion diced
12 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ pounds beef sirloin steak
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons catsup or tomato paste
3 tablespoons flour, gluten free flour can be substituted
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup dry sherry
1 ½ pounds egg noodles
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
You’ll need a cutting board, chef’s knife, large frying pan and spatula. First, clean the mushrooms and dry well. Slice the mushrooms in thin slices and set aside. Dice the onions and garlic. Cut the beef into thin strips, cutting against the grain. Turn as necessary, to get the best cuts. Trim off any excess fat, but don’t remove all of it. Heat the frying pan over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the beef in small groups, searing, but do not overcook. It should be a little pink. Remove the beef and cook the onions, just until they are slightly translucent. Add the garlic. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat to remove moisture from the mushroom. The mushrooms should be al-dente and lightly browned. Return the beef to the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the pan and add two tablespoons of butter. Stir until the flour and butter make a paste. Slowly add the milk, increasing heat as needed. Stir until the sauce is smooth.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, sherry and tomato paste, stir to combine.
Place a large pan filled with water over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking according to package directions. Add the sour cream to the beef, over low heat stirring constantly to combine. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cover. When the noodles are done, drain, return to the saucepan and toss with butter or olive oil. For a nice flavor and color add some fresh chopped parsley to the noodles.
Serve the dish on a large dinner plate, noodles first with a generous portion of the Beef Stroganoff!