Easy Beef Stroganoff

I love this recipe. If all Russian cuisine were this good, there'd be a borsch stand on every corner in New York City. There are many variations of Beef Stroganoff but essentially it consists of strips or cubes of beef in a brown sauce, served over noodles or white rice.

Use a beefy cut of steak, like chuck roast, for the most flavor. Most recipes use mustard and sour cream although some add paprika, others garlic, and some dices dill pickle. We added parsley and thyme. This is comfort food at its finest.

This takes a little bit of time, about an hour or so, but not much prep work (chopping, etc.). As Alton Brown likes to say, "Your patience will be rewarded." Make enough for leftovers, it stores well in the fridge and it reheats well in the microwave. It may even be better the next day.

Easy Beef Stroganoff (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pound steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 large onion, diced
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 cups beef broth
1/2 pound of button or crimini mushrooms
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon for dried
3 tablespoons finely minced parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 pound of egg noodles

Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided sauté pan on medium-high heat and add the beef. Season the meat with a sprinkle of salt and several turns of freshly ground black pepper. Sear the meat on all sides turning the pieces as they brown. Remove the seared meat, set aside in a bowl, and add the onions to the pan.

Add another pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and de-glaze the pan, scraping all the tasty bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Allow to reduce almost completely.

Add the beef broth, the meat, and any accumulated juices from the bowl in with the onions. Bring to a boil then lower heat and allow to simmer.

In another pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter, the thyme, the mushrooms, and another couple grinds of pepper. Allow the mushrooms to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Once the meat is tender and the sauce is reduced, drop the noodles into boiling water to be cooked.

Fold in the mushrooms, mustard, parsley, and sour cream in with the meat and sauce. Incorporate the egg noodles in with the sauce and serve in a bowl.

Garnish with a sprinkle more of parsley and a dollop of sour cream. I like to add some more raw onions and a squirt of lemon juice, and although my toppings are a little unorthodox, it's delicious.

Braised Beef Ragu

This dish is amazing, There is such depth of flavor that each bite takes you to the streets of Rome, sans motorscooters of course. The texture of the shredded beef stands up well with the bite of al dente Campanelle. By puréeing the mushrooms and the panchetta the richness of each is multiplied.

We got this recipe from Joanne Weir which she calls Braised Beef in Two Courses but we only made the first course here, the pasta course. It is a little bit more work than your standard pasta dish but well worth the effort. Spend a little time on a Sunday afternoon and make enough to take to work for lunch on Monday.

Your labor will be rewarded.

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds beef chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces pancetta, diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cups peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes, canned
1 pound pasta, we used campanelle
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

Pour 4 cups boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms and let sit until the water is cool.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Season the meat well with salt and pepper and brown the meat, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

Add the pancetta to the pan and stirring occasionally cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, and onions to the pan and cook until they begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Strain the porcini and reserve the liquid. Add the revived porcini mushrooms and the garlic to the pan.

In a large bowl, combine the tomato paste, sugar, porcini soaking liquid and tomatoes. Increase the heat to high, add the tomato mixture and add the meat back into the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, turning the meat occasionally, until the meat is tender and falling apart, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. You could also place the meat in a 350 degree oven.

If the sauce thickens too much, add water. Remove the meat from the pan and cover with foil. Purée the sauce in a blender until it is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until tender. Toss the pasta with as much sauce as needed. Serve with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bon Appétit!