Beef Stroganoff

Thin-sliced or ground beef in a creamy sauce served over pasta? Could I describe paradise better?

I've made stroganoff before, but generally use ground beef a la Hamburger Helper. A cheap dinner staple of my youth, that powdered sauce mixture 

This dish doesn't have a clear cut history. Of course, many dishes developed much like something falling down a tree, hitting every branch on the way down; unplanned, full of missteps or cultural collisions, and bam! Dish of today.

What is known, or at least presumed by many, about stroganoff is that a Governor-General named Alexander Grigorievich Stroganov held open dinner parties, of a sort, welcoming different individuals to dine. One of his chefs cooked small pieces of fried meat served in a sauce. This was quick to serve and folks loved it.

There are, of course, alternative sources pointing to other Stroganov family members, too, with various reasons the stew-like dish was created. The aforementioned article does a great job digging into potential origin recipes - similar dishes that may have been the basis for stroganoff. One they noted is called klops (whose mouth doesn't water at that name?), which is thin, lightly pounded beef cooked with onions. Adding prunes to the stroganoff dish apparently makes it similar to a Jewish dish called Esik.

Was beef stroganoff invented to help an aging man eat soft foods? The fascinating thing about food history is that someone put this together and it just took off and became the dish we know and love, whether with powdered sauce or not. Foods overlap cultures and there are similarities across many, as I've written about before. Digging in to the history of food can become a real lesson in world history.

I'd decided to use steak after my recent Beef Bourguignon experience, and knowing that is really the true origin of the dish. After exploring the steak aisle (a place I'd not qualify myself as much of an expert on), I landed on top sirloin filets. They're good just about any way except overcooked.

I placed the steak in the freezer for a few minutes prior to slicing to make it easier to slice, and seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper..

I used my cast iron pan for this recipe, and added a small amount of cooking oil to lightly coat the pan before adding the beef in at medium-high heat. I only let it cook briefly on each side. The goal was a nice, medium cook, not to overdo it.

Once both sides of eat strip was browned (1-2 minutes or so per side), I removed it from the pan and set it aside. Cook to your liking, but I err on the side of undercooking, since this is going to be mixed into the hot sauce at the end anyway.

So, we should probably talk. It's nothing serious. Just onions.

There's quite a few onion-family options out there. Yellow, red, white, shallots...Why am I using red here? Red onions have a bit more bite to them. Popular on salads (hello, Greek salad!) and gyros, these guys are a little fiesty. When you cook them, that tones it down, but add a little something special.

Of course, I'm no fancy, sophisticated chef with a plethora of options in my kitchen at a given time. I made my decision based a combination of curiosity and availability. I added some onion to the pan and let it cook for 7-10 minutes, then added garlic for the last minute. I wanted the onions lightly browned and softened.

After I cooked down the onions, I added the mushrooms. Baby bellas are my favorite for just about any dish, but white works fine, too. I used a whole pint. I let this all cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or so, until the mushrooms began to soften.

Next, I made my sauce, adding beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, tomato paste, and dijon mustard. I heated this to a simmer and let the mushrooms and onions soften further. This took 5 minutes or so. Towards the end, I whisked in some flour to start the sauce thickening process. Then, I slowly stirred in the sour cream to make a nice, creamy sauce.

Last up: Stirring in the beef.

I served the dish over cooked pasta, but you can use potatoes, too. I bet gnocchi would be a good pairing.

I sprinkled some fresh parsley on top to garnish and all was well in the world.

Another kitchen success. This one is not a challenging recipe by a long shot, and keeps great for leftovers. I think cream sauces are gems. This creates a hearty, rich, filling meal, the kind good for a chilly night. I have to say, the dijon and paprika have become key elements of stroganoff for me; I won't make it without them. Just a little bit adds a perfect extra flavor.

Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 pound sirloin steak

1 large onion, sliced (I used red, but yellow is perfect)

1 pint mushrooms (2 cups) - I used baby bella

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

2 cups beef broth or stock

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup sour cream

2 cups cooked pasta

Instructions:

Slice steak into thin strips. Heat large skillet to medium-high heat an add cooking oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper, then sear lightly on each side, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside. Slice onion into thin strips. Add more cooking oil to pan if needed, then add onions and cook for 7-10 minutes, until lightly browned and softened. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 more minutes. Stir in broth or stock, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, paprika, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Heat to a simmer and cook another 5 minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Create some space in the pan and add flour, then whisk until it is dissolved. Lower heat and stir in sour cream. Return meat to pan and stir. Serve over cooked pasta.